Shine In You
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: Elphaba Tigulaar is many things; green, allergic to water, the princess of the Vinkus, and an expecting mother. But she's also deaf. Throughout her pregnancy, will she be able to conquer her fears and trust herself to be a good ruler and mother? Fiyeraba.
1. October

**Hello, everyone! So, I've written in the "deaf Elphaba" AU before, but I recently saw Deaf West's production of Spring Awakening on Broadway, loved it, and got inspired again. Hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

Pregnant.

She was pregnant. She stared at the doctor, paralyzed in shock. Maybe he didn't say that. He could have said something else. _Anything_ else. Except that. She knew there were advantages to being deaf, but this was definitely _not_ one of them.

Her hand subconsciously flew to her flat abdomen as she continued to look at her mother-in-law. The queen, Amalie, smiled and nodded. That was all the confirmation Elphaba needed. She was going to have a baby. She and Fiyero were going to be parents.

 _'How long?'_ she finally managed to sign, looking from Amalie to the doctor.

"How long?" Amalie translated.

"I would say around three weeks," the doctor said.

 _'Around three weeks.'_ Amalie translated for the green girl.

Elphaba looked down at her stomach again, hardly believing a little life was growing inside of her. She was going to be a mother in nine months. How was she going to tell Fiyero?

"Congratulations, Your Highness," the doctor smiled, bowing slightly.

"Thank you, Doctor," Amalie smiled as she wiped the stray tear from Elphaba's cheek.

Elphaba wiped her eyes and smiled at the doctor. _'Thank you.'_ she signed.

The doctor nodded again and bowed before packing up his things and leaving the two royals alone. Elphaba looked up at Amalie and laughed softly. The Queen smiled back and pulled her into a gentle hug.

 _'I can't believe it.'_ Elphaba signed once they pulled away.

 _'Congratulations, Elphaba. I'm so happy for you.'_

The green girl smiled a bit. _'Yero and I talked about having children. We just thought it wouldn't happen so soon.'_

 _'You two have been married for two years. Sometimes, these things happen sooner rather than later.'_

 _'You're right.'_ The green girl stood and walked over to her closet.

 _'Do you want anything, Elphaba?'_ Amalie asked, walking up to the green girl and lightly touching her shoulder.

 _'I'm fine. I'm just going to find Fiyero.'_

 _'You're going to tell him now?'_

 _'I don't know quite yet. I want to, but it might be too early.'_

Amalie understood and kissed her daughter-in-law's forehead. _'Do whatever you feel is right. But I know Fiyero will be very excited.'_

Elphaba picked out a sweater and smiled at the queen. _'I know he will be. I am, too.'_ And with that, Elphaba went to find her husband, though it didn't take very long. He was sitting in parlor, eating a plate of cookies she had a suspicion he wasn't supposed to have. She walked over to him and sat down on the couch next to him.

The prince looked up and immediately abandoned his cookies to wrap his arms around his wife. He ran his fingers through her hair as she laid her head against his shoulder. The couple spent a few minutes like this, enjoying each other's company.

 _'Are you alright, Fae?'_ Fiyero asked as he gently pushed Elphaba away so she could see him.

 _'I'm fine. I was just going to go for a walk. Come with me?'_

Fiyero nodded and kissed his wife's cheek before hurrying away to get his sweater. Once he returned, the couple walked into the garden, hand-in-hand. Elphaba leaned against Fiyero as they walked, snuggling closer to him as an October breeze swept past them. They watched as the leaves turned colors and strong gusts of wind blew them off the branches.

 _'Something's on your mind.'_ Fiyero signed as they approached the center of the garden, where a large cherry blossom tree stood.

 _'I'm fine. It's nothing bad or anything.'_

 _'Do you want to tell me what it is?'_

Elphaba looked up at him and smiled softly before leading him over to a nearby bench. _'I was just think about what it would be like to start our own family.'_

The prince chuckled softly as they sat down. _'I've thought about it a bit, too. But we don't have to rush into anything. We have plenty of time to start thinking about a family, Fae.'_

Elphaba frowned slightly. Was Fiyero saying that he didn't want any children? Of course he wasn't. He wouldn't. He didn't even know.

 _'Fae? What's wrong?'_

 _'Well… the thing is… we actually don't have as much time as you think.'_

It was Fiyero's turn to frown. _'What do you mean? How much time do we have?'_

Elphaba gave him a sheepish grin. _'Nine months.'_

It took a while for that to sink in, but when it did, the prince's face broke into a grin. _'Fae, are you saying that you're… we're… you're pregnant?'_

Elphaba nodded. ' _Yes, Yero. I'm pregnant.'_

The prince laughed and lifted his wife into his arms and spun her around. "Oh, Fae! We're going to have a baby!" He returned her feet to the ground and kissed her passionately. Elphaba was surprised, but didn't protest the kiss as she wrapped her arms around her husband.

 _'How far along are you?'_ he asked when they pulled away.

 _'Around three weeks. The doctor just confirmed it today.'_

Fiyero wiped the tears from his eyes and gently placed his hand against her flat abdomen. "A baby," he whispered in awe. "We're going to have a baby. I'm going to be a father."

Even though Elphaba didn't know what he was saying, she could tell he was still in awe of everything and gently snuggled against him. Fiyero quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rocking her in his arms.

 _'We're going to be parents in nine months.'_ he signed happily once they pulled away.

 _'We are. Are you… nervous?'_

The prince paused for a clock-tick. _'I… I don't know. The whole idea excites me, but maybe I am a bit nervous. We're going to be responsible for another life.'_

 _'Yeah.'_ Elphaba signed. _'That's what I was thinking.'_

 _'Are you nervous?'_

 _'A little bit.'_

Fiyero smiled softly. _'It's normal to feel nervous. But we have nine months to prepare.'_

 _'And I'm sure there are lots books in the castle library we can find.'_

 _'We?'_ the prince blinked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. _'Yes, we. The both of us.'_

 _'Leave it to the bookworm to think she can find all her answers in her books.'_ he chuckled, kissing the top of her head. _'When are you going to tell everyone else?'_

 _'Um… well, I want to tell them soon, but not quite yet. I want to wait until I'm safe.'_

 _'Safe?'_

 _'There's a significantly less chance of a miscarriage once I hit my third month.'_

 _'So, who knows now?'_

 _'Just you, me, your mother, and the doctor.'_

The prince smiled softly and pulled his wife into another kiss. _'I'm so happy for us.'_

 _'Me too, Yero. Me too.'_

* * *

Things continued in the castle as normally as before. Fiyero was slightly more protective of Elphaba, and it confused the servants, as well as the king, Raal, as to why. They knew that Fiyero was always a bit protective of Elphaba, for obvious reasons, but never to this extent.

 _'Yero, I'm fine. Really.'_ Elphaba signed as Fiyero tried to help her down the stairs. _'I can still walk down the stairs. I'm not_ that _pregnant yet.'_

 _'I know, Fae, but…'_

Elphaba gently grabbed his hands, cutting him off. _'We don't want anyone to get suspicious. I want to wait to tell everyone.'_

Fiyero looked into his wife's eyes and nodded slowly, pulling her into a kiss. _'Okay.'_

Elphaba smiled once they pulled away and gently leaned her head against his chest. They walked down the rest of the steps and walked into the parlor, where Amalie and Raal were having tea.

"Oh. Hello, Fiyero. Elphaba," Raal said and signed when he saw the couple.

"Hi, Dad," Fiyero smiled, sitting on the couch next to his wife.

"Would you two like some tea?" Amalie asked, also signing to Elphaba.

 _'Yes, please.'_ Elphaba smiled.

Fiyero nodded. "Sure."

Amalie smiled and poured the tea for the younger adults. "Have you two thought about suggestions for the dinner party next month?"

"I haven't really thought about it," the prince admitted sheepishly. He turned toward his wife. _'Fae?'_

Elphaba paused for a moment. _'I haven't really thought about it either.'_

Amalie smiled softly. "That's okay. I was just wondering. We still have time to decide."

After drinking her tea, Elphaba announced that she was feeling a bit tired and was going to take a nap. Fiyero finished his tea and talked with his parents for a bit before he decided to check up on his wife. He walked up the stairs and slipped into the bedroom. He smiled at the sight of his wife peacefully asleep and slipped into the bed next to her. He jumped slightly when Elphaba's eyes flew opened and her body when into full alert.

 _'What's wrong?'_ she immediately asked, looking at the prince.

It took Fiyero a second to remember how Elphaba had trained herself to be a light sleeper in case something was wrong and she was needed to do something. He smiled softly as he kissed her forehead in an apology. _'Nothing's wrong, Fae. I'm sorry for startling you. I was just checking up on you.'_

Elphaba relaxed and smiled softly as she snuggled against the prince. She rested her head against his chest and felt his heart pumping. Fiyero shimmied under the covers and pulled Elphaba closer.

 _'What?'_ Elphaba asked when she realized that Fiyero was still staring at her.

 _'Nothing. It's just… do you remember how I proposed?'_

Elphaba blinked. _'Of course. Why do you ask?'_

 _'No reason. I was just wondering.'_

The green girl rolled her eyes. _'Do_ you _remember?'_

 _'Of course I do. It was the summer after we graduated Shiz…'_

 _Fiyero smiled softly as he walked hand-in-hand with his girlfriend. He couldn't believe he managed to stay with the same girl for four years, and he couldn't believe he actually could_ love _the same girl for four years. But here he was, the proud boyfriend of Elphaba Thropp. He thought to himself about how he had managed to fall in love with the legendary green girl. She was the opposite of what he ever dreamt of in a girl. She was green, but not ugly. Just… green. She had a mysterious allergy to water, which the poor prince had found out about the hard way when they were caught in an unexpected rain shower and he had to watch as burns and horrid blisters formed on her exotic, emerald skin. And she was also deaf._

 _After their fourth unofficial date, the prince had managed learned enough sign language to be able to have a conversation with Elphaba without having to write down what he was saying on a piece of paper and have to play charades with her to figure out what she was saying. He had asked her how she became deaf, and at first, he wasn't sure she would answer. But she confessed that she had suffered from meningitis when she was a baby (two months old, according to her father). Instead of dying, like the doctors predicted, it only took her hearing, which she was very grateful for._

'It could have been much worse.' _she had signed to him when he had asked._

 _It had been rocky when they first met. Communication had been their biggest issue. Fiyero didn't know any sign language, and Elphaba could only lip-read a tiny bit, and even that proved to not be the most useful or accurate way of communicating. They had resorted to passing notes back and forth until Fiyero managed to learn a few basic signs, and Elphaba taught him the rest as they went along. Despite his brainless reputation, the prince was actually a very quick learner when he actually got himself to care. And being with Elphaba got him to care._

 _Now here they were, four years later, fresh graduates of Shiz University. It had been especially hard for Elphaba, whose prelingual deafness caused her to have a bit of a harder time, but she was a very dedicated student and pulled through. With the help of her sister, Galinda, and Fiyero, who were more than happy to assist her with getting her notes and reviewing lectures, she had made it through the four years. As a present to both his daughters, the Governor of Munchkinland had allowed them to visit the prince in the Vinkus for a few weeks. He still didn't fully like the prince, especially once he found out that he was dating his eldest daughter, but over the years, softened a little bit._

 _The prince felt Elphaba squeeze his hand to get her attention._ 'Yero, is everything alright?'

 _He smiled._ 'Yeah. Everything's fine.' _The couple sat down on a bench, their fingers still intertwined._ 'Do you like it here?'

 _The green girl inhaled deeply and nodded._ 'I do. It's really beautiful.'

 _The prince nodded and looked down at his lap. He fidgeted a bit, obviously nervous about something. He felt Elphaba tap his leg and looked up at her._

'Something's wrong. Tell me.'

'I… I made you something.' _Fiyero signed as he pulled out a small booklet and handed it to her._

 _Elphaba looked at the cover._ 'In Our Life?' _she asked._

 _The prince nodded._ 'It's called a 'flipbook'. You flip through it really quickly and it shows a bunch of pictures that look like they're moving.'

'Moving?'

'You'll see.'

 _Elphaba began to flip through the book as Fiyero instructed. She knew the prince had a special talent for art and was excited to see what he had done. The first was a picture titled 'Sixty Years From Now', with a drawing of them as an older couple. She looked at him, confused, but the prince simply pointed back to the book and Elphaba continued to quickly flip through it. The pictures really did look like they were moving. Time seemed to be going backwards in the book, since the next photo was 'Fifty Years From Now', then 'Forty Years from Now'. The next few pages had were labeled 'Time in Between'. Elphaba and Fiyero were sitting on a bench, and standing beside them was what seemed to be two children, an older boy and a younger girl. Time continued to go backwards and the girl turned into a baby in Elphaba's lap before disappearing, then the boy turned into a baby before disappearing. Elphaba continued to flip and saw that picture-Fiyero was pulling something out of his pocket. The last page was of him getting down on one knee with the caption 'Will You Marry Me?' with the opened, little, black box in his hands._

 _Elphaba blinked and looked over to the prince, who was mirroring the picture. He was on his knee in front of Elphaba with the opened ring box. The green girl blinked, raising her hands to sign to him, but found that her hands were shaking._

 _Fiyero smiled as he gently put the box down next to himself before taking Elphaba's trembling hands in his. He held her hands in his own for a few moments before he signed,_ 'I love you, Fae. I've loved you for the past four and a half years. I can't imagine my life without you. You really helped me to think and to not be happy with my false pretenses. You got me to be the real me and not care what other people think. And I love you for all that and more.'

 _Elphaba still couldn't move. She was in too much of a shock._ 'Yero…' _she finally managed to get out after a while._

'Elphaba Melena Thropp, will you marry me?'

 _Elphaba looked at the ring before nodding quickly._ 'Yes!' _she signed._ 'Yes!'

 _Fiyero quickly slid the ring onto her finger and pulled her towards himself for a kiss. Elphaba happily and quickly melted against the prince's body as the kiss deepened. The two fell to the ground, completely lost in each other._

 _"I love you," Fiyero whispered against her lips, wiping away her tears before they could burn her._

 _Elphaba smiled as she pulled Fiyero closer, their breath mixing together. They kissed once more, lost in the passion of lovers' dreams._

* * *

 **Well, here we are. My 75th story! *Confetti cannon goes off* What do you all think? Virtual chocolate cupcakes for everyone who reviews!**


	2. November

**Thank you all for your response so far!**

 **AnOreoForElphie: I also know a bit of sign language. I know the entire finger alphabet and a few other signs. I would probably last all of forty-five seconds in an ASL conversation, but I'm working on it. And thank you!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: *Hands you napkin to wipe chocolate off face* And what makes you think that something bad is going to happen? *Smirk***

* * *

Elphaba smiled as she sat in front of the fire. She nursed a cup of hot chocolate, which she had been drinking for the past half-hour.

Fiyero walked in and sat next to his wife, instantly pulling her closer. The green girl looked up and smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. _'Hey.'_

 _'Hey.'_

 _'How are you feeling?'_

 _'Better than this morning.'_

The prince nodded. Elphaba had been suffering almost every morning for the past two weeks of very bad morning sickness. Fiyero knew that it was a symptom of pregnancy, and there wasn't much he could do to stop it, but he just wished he could make her feel better. He gently placed his hand against her abdomen, grinning widely at her when she rolled her eyes.

 _'I'm not even showing yet.'_ Elphaba signed.

 _'I know, but the baby is still there.'_ Elphaba gave him a wary look and he smiled softly. _'Don't worry. I'll be careful. I won't tell anyone before you're ready.'_

 _'I know. I just… I don't even know how I'll tell my family yet. I don't want to tell them in a letter, but I highly doubt that they'll be able to come to the Vinkus, or we'll be able to go to Munchkinland.'_

 _'What if they invited them here for Lurlinemas?'_

 _'Maybe. But my sister's chair makes it harder for her to travel.'_

 _'We could meet up in the Emerald City.'_

 _'The Emerald City? How did that come up?'_

 _'It's been a while since we've been to the Emerald City. Remember the last time we went there?'_

The green girl smiled. _'Yes. It was beautiful. Everything was so big and grand and… green. I also remember you getting food poisoning.'_

 _'No one told me not to eat the broiled fish with that mysterious red sauce.'_

 _'I did.'_

 _'Oh, yeah. You did. But it was really good. Well… it was until a few hours later.'_

Elphaba rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet. _'We'll see. Maybe they would like to come over to Lurlinemas. My sister might be able to convince my father. I'm going to get something to eat. Are you hungry?'_

The prince shrugged and got to his feet as well. _'Not really, but I'll guess I'll eat a little something.'_

The two walked into the kitchen. The cook wasn't there, but there was some bread and snacks on the counter. Elphaba walked over to the icebox and took out a few carrots. She looked at them for a moment, then her gaze drifted to the pot of chocolate sauce meant for dipping strawberries. Fiyero watched as his wife walked over to the pot and dipped the carrots into the chocolate sauce.

 _'Does it taste good?'_ Fiyero asked when Elphaba turned around to look at him.

Elphaba took another bite. _'I don't really know. I like chocolate and I like carrots, but I'm not sure if I like them combined.'_

The prince stepped over to his wife and took one of her carrots before dipping it into the chocolate. He took a bite a shrugged. ' _It's not that bad.'_ He moved to dip again, but Elphaba gently slapped his hand away.

 _'No double dipping.'_

The prince pouted, but sighed as he finished off the carrot. He didn't take another one, but watched as Elphaba finished off her third carrot. ' _Tired?_ ' he asked when she yawned.

 _'A little bit. I think I'll lay down.'_

 _'I'll come with you.'_

Elphaba smiled softly. _'I'll be fine by myself.'_

The prince didn't look too happy, but agreed and pulled his wife into a gentle kiss. When they pulled away, he tenderly wiped her hair away from her face and softly kissed her nose before watching her walk away. "I just hope Cook didn't need those carrots," Fiyero muttered to himself as he slipped out of the kitchen to avoid getting caught.

* * *

The next morning, when Fiyero woke up, Elphaba wasn't beside him in the bed. He shot up, immediately regretting it when pain shot up his back from the sudden jerking motion. He looked around, hoping that she was still in the room. Hearing a soft moan coming from the bathroom down the hall, he jumped out of bed. He stumbled down the hall and, peeking his head through the ajar bathroom door, saw Elphaba leaning over the toilet, moaning and breathing deeply before throwing up. The prince immediately rushed to her side and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. Elphaba stiffened, but slowly relaxed against her husband's embrace.

Fiyero held her hair back as she emptied what was left in her stomach and slumped against him. He rocked her in his arms and held her close. _'Would you like some tea?'_

Elphaba buried her face in Fiyero's chest and clung to him as she nodded. The prince smiled as he lifted Elphaba into his arms and carried her out of the room. Under normal circumstances, the green girl would have kicked and protested against being carried out of the bathroom like a helpless child, but she simply clung to the prince and she silently begged her stomach to settle.

 _'I'll be right back.'_ Fiyero said as he helped Elphaba back into bed and kissed her forehead.

Elphaba watched as her husband left and her eyes slowly fluttered close. She was only half-conscious when Fiyero returned and helped her sit up to drink the warm liquid.

 _'Thank you.'_ she signed weakly as she felt her stomach begin to settle down.

The prince nodded. _'Do you feel better?'_

 _'A bit. I am a little hungry, though.'_

 _'Are you sure you'll be able to keep food down?'_

 _'There's only one way to find out.'_ She slid out of bed and grabbed Fiyero's hands before he could tell her to stay in bed. _'I'll be fine, Yero. Let's go get breakfast.'_

The prince's lips curled into a small smile as they put on their robes and walked down to the dining room. Amalie and Raal were already seated. Raal flashed the green girl a concerned look as she sat down, but when he saw the look Amalie gave him, brushed his concerns aside. He was the king, after all. If something was wrong, he would be one of the first people to know about it.

After discussing their plans for the day, the royal family went their separate ways until the dinner party that evening. Elphaba said that she was feeling nauseous and ended up throwing up her breakfast. The prince stayed by her side the whole time, holding her hair and rubbing her back. Once she was finished, he carried her back to their bedroom again and the couple spent the rest of the morning in bed. When Fiyero asked if Elphaba wanted any lunch, they agreed to split the sandwich a maid had brought up.

 _'Better?'_ Fiyero asked as Elphaba finished her juice.

 _'Better. Thank you.'_

 _'Will you be alright for the dinner party tonight?'_

 _'I think I'll be fine. I was really looking forward to going.'_

 _'Okay. But, if you feel like you have to leave, tell me and we'll go.'_

 _'Yero, you don't have to go because of me.'_

 _'I know I don't have to, but I want to.'_

Elphaba smiled and snuggled against the prince, resting her head against his chest and feeling his heartbeat. He chuckled softly and pulled Elphaba closer, and pretty soon, the couple fell fast asleep.

When Fiyero woke up a few hours later, he realized that they had to get ready for the dinner party soon. He gently stroked his wife's nose, smiling as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

 _'We have to get ready for the party now.'_ he signed, kissing her cheek.

Elphaba yawned and pushed herself up. _'Okay.'_

Fiyero looked her up and down before gently taking her hand, grabbing her attention. _'Will you be alright?'_

 _'I'll be fine. I'm feeling better now.'_

The prince didn't look completely convinced, but he simply watched as Elphaba walked over to her wardrobe to choose a dress for the dinner. His eyes followed her as she chose a long, dark silver gown with long sleeves and a V-neck. Once he had convinced himself that everything would be fine, he slowly got out of bed to get himself ready. When he finished getting ready, he went back into the room and found Elphaba sitting at her vanity, as one of the maids curled her hair. Elphaba saw him through her mirror and smiled.

 _'Are you ready?'_ he signed when Elphaba turned around.

Elphaba looked at herself the mirror and signaled for the maid to stop. _'I'm ready.'_

The maid curtsied and began to put everything away before quickly leaving the room. Fiyero stepped in as Elphaba rose to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. He discreetly rested his hand against her abdomen, and Elphaba couldn't help but smile.

 _'Are you sure you'll be fine?_ ' he signed.

Elphaba nodded. _'I should be fine for tonight. We've been looking forward to this for a while. I don't want to miss it.'_

 _'Okay, but remember…'_

 _'If I begin to feel sick, I'll come back upstairs.'_

 _'_ We'll _come back upstairs.'_ the prince corrected.

Elphaba looked like she wanted to argue, but a servant came and announced that it was time for the dinner to begin. Fiyero signed to Elphaba and the two went downstairs. The guests were beginning to arrive, and Fiyero gently squeezed his wife's hand when she went rigid suddenly.

 _'Do you want to go back?'_ he asked.

Elphaba shook her head. _'No. I'm fine.'_

Once everyone was seated, the king said a quick blessing and nodded to the servants to begin serving the food. Elphaba smelt the food before it was revealed and stiffened slightly.

 _'Fish?'_ she signed discreetly to her husband.

Fiyero nodded, then looked worried. _'Yes. Will you be able to handle it?'_

 _'Yes. I just won't eat any.'_ It was easier said than done. Elphaba could easily avoid eating the fish, but the smell was practically intoxicating to her.

 _'Wine, Elphaba?'_ Raal asked, completely obvious to the princess' plight as a servant filled his wine goblet.

Elphaba smiled politely and shook her head. _'No, thank you. Could I just have a glass of virgin cider?'_

The king looked surprised. He knew his daughter-in-law wasn't a big wine drinker, but she had never refused a glass at a function like this before. And especially since she requested _virgin_ cider. But he simply nodded and informed the servant of her request.

She ate a salad with a side of cooked beets. She didn't eat a lot, which worried Raal.

 _'Elphaba, are you alright? Aren't you hungry?'_ he signed as the second course was being served.

 _'I'm fine, Raal.'_ Elphaba signed _. 'I'm not very hungry, I guess.'_

The king nodded, but still didn't look completely convinced. Elphaba looked into his worried-filled eyes and began to feel a bit guilty. She wanted to tell him the real reason why she wasn't eating a lot, but it was still too risky for her to let more people know. She only told who she needed to tell at the moment. She looked up as the servants brought in more food and almost fainted at the smell of the heavily seasoned red meat. Yet another thing she couldn't eat.

The table became lively with discussion. Elphaba closed her eyes against the headache she felt forming and faintly felt Fiyero slip his hand into hers. She slowly opened her eyes and watched as everyone's mouths moved as they became even more involved in their conversations and was secretly glad she couldn't hear what they were saying, for she was sure it would only make her headache worse. She squeezed Fiyero's hand, but gave him a look that said that she wanted to stay. Fiyero matched her look with a stern, yet loving, glance.

"Is everyone ready for dessert?" Raal asked, and everyone smiled and nodded.

The servants wheeled in a large chocolate cake and began to cut it. The green girl managed to eat her cake and keep it down and silently thanked her stomach. Fiyero smiled softly when he realized that Elphaba seemed to be doing fine, which barely anyone noticed.

Once the dinner was over, the guests said their 'thank you's and began to dissipate. Elphaba looked relieved that all those people were leaving. Even though she had been a princess for a while and got used to going to events like that, she still didn't like being around a lot of people when she didn't know what they were saying. She didn't attend most of her father's parties in Munchkinland for the same reason, and also because she knew her father wouldn't want anyone staring at her green skin.

 _'I'm fine.'_ Elphaba signed to Fiyero once they were alone.

The prince smiled. _'You knew what I was going to say?'_

 _'Of course.'_ Elphaba rolled her eyes. _'I know you, Yero.'_

Fiyero nodded, then turned serious. _'My father is worried about you. He thinks_ _something's wrong and that we should call for the doctor.'_

 _'I know. I feel bad that he doesn't know. But I didn't want to tell so many people. I almost didn't even tell you, but I had a feeling that I should.'_

 _'And I'm glad you did. But still…'_

 _'I'll tell him, Yero. He deserves to know. Especially now. But I don't just want to tell him. I want to make it special. And that also goes for my father and Nessa.'_

 _'We'll tell him when you feel ready, Fae. It's your decision.'_

Elphaba smiled as Fiyero pulled her in for a kiss. She just had to think of a way to tell Raal, her father, and her sister.


	3. December

**Hello, everyone! If you wanted to read chapter 2, but saw chapter 2 of TTOS instead, I fixed that problem. I accidently uploaded the wrong doc. So sorry about that! It's now fixed and the correct chapter 2 is up!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: You know me so well, don't you?**

* * *

As the weeks passed, the temperature began to drop more quickly than expected. It was the third week of December and it had been almost freezing since the beginning of the month.

As Lurlinemas approached, Elphaba realized that she was beginning to show and wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. Her baby bump was only visible if she wore form-fitting clothing, which she rarely did anyway, but it was still there.

 _'I have an idea.'_ she signed to Fiyero when he asked if she was going to tell his father yet.

 _'What is it?'_ the prince asked.

 _'Well, his birthday is on Lurlinemas Eve.'_

 _'So you want to tell him then?'_

Elphaba nodded. _'Remember when you told me how your grandfather used to read you old Vinkun fairytales before you went to sleep?'_

 _'Yes.'_ Fiyero nodded. Elphaba told the prince her plan and he smiled. _'I love that plan. And I know Dad will, too.'_

Elphaba smiled as the two intertwined their fingers and walked into the parlor. There was a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table and the prince happily helped himself. "Want one?" he asked aloud with his mouth full, offering her the plate.

Elphaba raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes, but took a cookie. Before they knew it, the cookies were all gone.

"I knew we shouldn't have left the cookies out," a voice said from the doorway.

Fiyero turned and saw his mother smirking at him. "Well, they were delicious."

The queen slowly shook her head. "You're hopeless, Yero."

"Hey, Fae ate some, too! It wasn't _all_ me." He gently nudged his wife and signed to her. "She's just as guilty as I am."

Elphaba pushed herself up. _'They were delicious. And I was kind of craving cookies.'_

"See! I was being helpful!" Fiyero said defensively.

The queen rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell the both of you that Raal and I received a letter from Munchkinland."

Fiyero pushed himself up more, and Elphaba looked curious. _'What does the letter say?'_ she asked.

"The Governor and Nessa have accepted our invitation and will be arriving on Lurlinemas Eve," Amalie said and signed, approaching the couple and sitting in the armchair across from them.

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look. _'That's great.'_ Elphaba smiled. _'It's been a while since I've seen Nessa.'_

 _'Are you going to tell them?'_ Amalie asked.

Elphaba nodded. _'I was planning to tell Raal on his birthday, and tell my father and Nessa on Lurlinemas Day.'_

 _'I think that's a wonderful plan, Elphaba. Everyone will be so excited.'_ And with that, the queen left to go back to the throne room.

 _'What's wrong, Fae?'_ Fiyero asked when he saw Elphaba's face fall.

 _'It's just… I feel bad.'_

 _'About what?'_

 _'Not being able to surprise your mother.'_

The prince blinked, trying to figure out what Elphaba was talking about. _'You… you_ _mean… you're upset you didn't get to tell her?'_

 _'I'm upset that she didn't get to experience the feeling of being surprised by this. She was with me when the doctor told me. Actually,_ she _told_ me _that I was pregnant. Everyone else was surprised. Even you were surprised.'_

 _'I'm sure she was surprised when the doctor gave you the news.'_

 _'But I didn't get to tell her in a special way. Getting the news that you're going to be a grandmother for the very first time should have been more exciting for her. If she didn't have to be with me when the doctor told me I was pregnant, she could have been surprised.'_

 _'But from what I understand, she wanted to be with you, Fae. How else would you have known what the doctor was saying?'_

Elphaba got up and moved to look out the window before turning back to her husband. _'If I wasn't deaf, I could have been alone.'_

 _'What?'_ Fiyero signed gently, approaching the green girl. _'Fae, where is this coming from?'_

Elphaba sighed. _'The doctor could have just told me and wouldn't have had to go through Amalie.'_

 _'Or he could learn sign language.'_

 _'But he shouldn't have to learn sign language, Yero! That's what I'm trying to say.'_

 _'So, you're saying that if you weren't deaf, you could have waited to tell everyone in a special way?'_

Elphaba nodded.

The prince pulled her against him and kissed her forehead. "Oh, Fae," he whispered into her hair.

 _'I feel like a burden.'_ Elphaba signed when they pulled away.

Fiyero quickly gripped her hands to stop her. _'You are_ not _a burden, Fae. Mom doesn't dislike you because you couldn't surprise her with the news. She's just so happy she's finally getting those grandchildren she's been wanting since the months after we got married.'_

 _'But she knows that everyone else I tell gets a meaningful surprise behind the news. And the way she found out was so anticlimactic.'_

 _'But she was the very first person to know. That's an honor, isn't it? It didn't matter how she found out, Fae. She's just so happy and excited. She's not mad at you or disappointed.'_

 _'I'll go talk to her.'_ Elphaba said.

 _'Talk to her if you want to, but I'm telling you that she's not mad at you. I promise.'_ He pulled Elphaba in for another kiss before watching her walk off to find her mother-in-law. She found her in the throne room alone, reading over some papers.

The Queen looked up when she heard footsteps and smiled at the sight of the green girl. _'Hi, Elphaba. Do you need something?'_

 _'I actually wanted to talk to you. If you're not busy.'_

Amalie took off her reading glasses and beckoned the green girl. _'Of course not.'_ She led the green girl over to the couch and sat down next to her.

 _'I… I wanted to tell you something.'_ Elphaba said, not fully meeting the queen's gaze.

 _'What is it, child?'_

 _'I… I'm sorry.'_

The Queen looked shocked. _'Whatever for?'_

 _'I didn't get to surprise you.'_

 _'Surprise me?'_

 _'About you becoming a grandmother.'_

Amalie relaxed and smiled softly. _'Oh, Elphaba. Don't worry about that. I was surprised and very happy when the doctor told us.'_

 _'But it wasn't special.'_

 _'What makes you think that it wasn't special?'_

 _'I told you how I'm telling Raal, my father, and my sister, and it's much more special than just having the doctor tell you because you had to be there.'_

 _'Elphaba, it's okay. In fact, I was personally very honored that I was one of the first people to find out. It doesn't matter how you told me. I think it's very special and unique the way you are telling everyone else, but I am personally not offended. Do you understand that?'_

Elphaba paused. The queen didn't look angry or upset with her, just like Fiyero had said. _'You… you don't feel left out?'_

 _'Of course not.'_ Amalie laughed softly. _'I was much too happy with the news to realize how I was told. And Elphaba, I wanted to be there with you. I had a suspicion when you started to display some pregnancy symptoms, but I wasn't sure. And since the doctor didn't know sign language, I was more than happy to stay with you.'_

 _'Really?'_

 _'Of course.'_

Elphaba relaxed and smiled as Amalie pulled her into a hug. _'Thank you.'_

 _'You're welcome, Elphaba. Like I said, I am very happy for you and Fiyero and very excited to become a grandmother.'_

Elphaba smiled as she let the queen go back to her paperwork. She was relieved that Amalie wasn't upset. Now she just had to tell Raal and her family.

* * *

The castle was in a big hubbub Lurlinemas Eve. Along with preparing for the Lurlinemas, it was also the king's birthday. The royal family spent the morning together in the parlor, having a special breakfast and watching and smiling as Raal opened his gifts.

"Thank you, all," he said and signed once he finished opening his gifts. "This has been one of the best birthdays ever."

"There's one more present," Fiyero said excitedly as he jumped up to grab a present from under the tree.

"Fiyero, that's a Lurlinemas present," Raal said.

"I know, but I think you can open one more present."

"Yero, we don't get to open one present until tonight."

"Please?"

The king sighed, but took the present from his son and tore off the wrapping paper. He pulled out a book of traditional Vinkun fairytales. "Ankanena Shenandoah?" he asked, reading the title. "Isn't this the same book your of old Vinkun fairytales your grandfather used to read to you?"

"Yup!" Fiyero smiled gleefully.

"Well, thank you, Yero. It's a very nice gift, but… why are you giving me a book of fairytales?"

"Well… we thought it would be useful for you to use soon. Actually, in a few months."

It took a while for the news to sink in, and when it did, Raal's face lit up. "Are… are you saying… the two of you…"

"Yes," Fiyero said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. "We're going to have a baby."

"I… I'm going to be a grandfather?" he asked in awe.

Elphaba smiled and placed her hand against her abdomen, where the baby bump was beginning to become more visible. Raal followed her gaze and gasped softly. _'How far along are you?'_ he asked Elphaba.

 _'Three months. I wanted to wait until it was safe before I began telling people.'_

The king stared at her stomach for a few more clock ticks before lifting his gaze. He wiped the tears from his eyes before walking over to the green girl and pulling her into a hug. "I'm so happy for the two of you."

"Come on, Dad. We both know you and Mom have been hinting at getting grandchildren for a while," Fiyero smiled when his father pulled away.

"I just hoped I would live to see the day," the king smiled as he hugged his son. "I'm just so happy. This was truly the best birthday gift ever."

"I'm glad, Dad," the prince smiled as he hugged his father.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and as evening fell, Elphaba seemed to get a bit anxious about seeing her family again.

 _'I haven't seen them in a while.'_ Elphaba signed as she and Fiyero waited in the parlor. _'What will I say to them?'_

 _'Say what you want to say, Fae. You can decide when you want to tell them.'_

 _'I guess it helps that your family already knows and is excited. I know Nessa will be excited, but I still don't know about my father.'_

 _'Your relationship with your father seemed to improve since Shiz.'_

 _'He didn't think I would last at Shiz, even though I was going mostly to take care of Nessa. He didn't think I would be able to do the work since I couldn't hear or lip read what the professors were saying.'_

 _'But you had help. Galinda, Nessa, and I were more than happy to help you. And you spent almost all of your free time studying and reviewing notes. You worked very hard and you proved him wrong.'_

 _'I know. I just… I don't know. I'm just never sure how he'll react to certain things that have to do with me.'_

 _'He'll be delighted, Fae. This is his first grandchild and Nessa's first niece or nephew.'_

Elphaba was about to respond, when Raal came into the parlor.

"Hi, Dad," Fiyero smiled as Elphaba looked up.

"Hello. I just came in here to tell you two that the Governor's carriage has just arrived," Raal said and signed, still unable to wipe the smile off his face from that morning.

Fiyero smiled at his wife, who tried to give him a small smile in return, but was too nervous. He kissed her cheek, silently reassuring her that everything would be fine.

 _'They're here.'_ Fiyero signed when he heard their voices in the foyer.

Elphaba nodded and, taking a deep breath, walked out of the parlor and into the foyer. As soon as the younger Thropp saw her sister, her face immediately lit up. "Fabala!"

Elphaba smiled and knelt down to greet her sister as she quickly wheeled over to her. _'Hi, Nessa.'_

 _'I've missed you so much! How are you?'_

 _'I'm fine. I've missed you, too. How have you been?'_

 _'I'm been great. I'm still dating Boq. I think he might propose soon.'_

 _'That's great. I know how much you two love each other.'_

 _'We do.'_ Nessa giggled.

Elphaba smiled and looked up at her father. She straightened and did her best to keep her nerves at bay. _'Hello, Father.'_

 _'Hello, Elphaba.'_ Frex signed. He paused, then closed the small gap between them and hugged his green daughter.

Elphaba was surprised, but quickly hugged him back. Ever since Shiz, their relationship had been different. He had been making more of an attempt to get closer to her. She knew they would never have the same relationship he shared with Nessa, but it was a start.

 _'How was your trip?'_ she asked when they pulled away, quickly regaining herself.

 _'It was fine.'_

 _'It was long.'_ Nessa signed. _'Tiring and long.'_

Elphaba smiled sympathetically. _'Are you up for doing something tonight?'_

 _'What did you have in mind?'_

"It's a Vinkun tradition to open one present on Lurlinemas Eve," Fiyero said, beating Elphaba to the punch. "Hi, Nessa."

"Hi, Fiyero," Nessa smiled as her brother-in-law knelt down to hug her.

"I'm sure the Governor and Nessa would like to freshen up first before they open a present," Amalie said.

"Oh. Right," the prince said sheepishly. "Hello, Governor Thropp."

Frex inclined his head towards the prince. "Prince Fiyero."

 _Elphaba and I have been married for over a year and he still refuses to stop calling me 'Prince Fiyero'. Probably because I still call him Governor Thropp. What? He scares me,_ Fiyero thought to himself.

"We will freshen up first," Frex said, grabbing the handles of Nessa's chair and pushed her chair behind the servant showing them to her room.

Fiyero quickly slipped his hand into his wife's and offered her a small smile. Elphaba smiled back and squeezed his hand. Maybe things might go well, after all.

After a partially silent dinner, Raal announced that it was time to open a Lurlinemas present. The royal family and the Thropps gathered in the parlor around the Lurlinemas tree. There were more presents under the tree, and Fiyero suspected that the Governor had brought extra gifts, as well as Nessa's. He just hoped he brought something nice for Elphaba.

Once everyone, except for Frex and Nessa, opened their one gift, Elphaba went under the tree and grabbed two identically wrapped boxes and gave them to her father and sister.

 _'Thank you, Fabala.'_ Nessa smiled as she began to tear open the wrapping paper. She opened the box and pulled out a necklace with a large pink pendant with a golden outline _. 'Oh, Fabala! It's beautiful. Thank you!'_

 _'You're welcome, Nessie.'_ Elphaba smiled, hugging her sister.

Frex then proceeded to open his gift. He pulled out a dark blue ornament shaped like a star with a large 'T' in the center. On each of the five points were the names of the most recent Thropps; Frexspar, Melena, Elphaba, and Nessa.

 _'Thank you, Elphaba.'_ the Governor signed.

 _'You're welcome, Father.'_ Elphaba smiled shyly.

"Wait, there's a blank one on the bottom," Nessa pointed out, pointing to the bottom point of the star, where a single purple heart was painted.

Fiyero chuckled. "Yes. Yes, it is."

"Why?"

"Well, a star has five points, but there are currently only four Thropps. There's one more spot to fill."

It took a while, but something finally clicked in Nessa's brain. "Oh my Oz…" she whispered in shock. "What…" She regained herself and looked at her sister. _'Fabala, are you telling us that… you're pregnant?'_

The green girl smiled and nodded. _'Yes, Nessa. I'm pregnant.'_

Nessa's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth as she squealed. She quickly wheeled over to her sister and gave her a hug. _'I'm going to be an aunt?'_

Elphaba nodded again. _'Yes.'_

 _'How far along are you?'_

 _'Three months. I'm due sometime in mid-June.'_ She flattened her dress against her abdomen so her baby bump was more visible. _'Look at your pendent.'_

The brunette looked at her present and realized at 'Teta', the Munchkin word for 'aunt', was written along the golden outline. She smiled and laughed as she gently placed her hand against her sister's abdomen. She looked back at their father, who still hadn't moved from his spot. "Father?"

Frex still didn't say anything. Elphaba watched him with expectant eyes, waiting to see how he would react. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Frex redirected his attention to his daughters. His hands moved to sign something, but he stopped. The news sunk in. He was going to be a grandfather. He never really thought about being a grandfather.

 _'Father?'_ Elphaba signed, rising to her feet as her father still stared at her, not making a move.

"I'm going to be a grandfather," Frex said, to no one in particular, looking down slightly.

"We both are," Raal smiled.

The Governor once again looked at his daughter. Slowly, his face broke into a smile as he went to go hug her. _'Congratulations, Fabala.'_

Elphaba smiled sincerely. _'Thank you, Father.'_ She looked at her father and realized that he was genuinely happy for her. His gaze lowered to her abdomen at her baby bump and his smile grew a bit.

 _'Your mother would be happy, too.'_ he signed as he looked up into her eyes again.

Elphaba's smile grew. _'Thank you, Father.'_

That night, Fiyero came into their bedroom to find Elphaba already in bed, her nose buried in a book. Chuckling to himself, he climbed into bed and pulled Elphaba against his chest. The green girl smiled and marked her page before snuggling closer to the prince. The two stayed in their comfortable silence for a while, simply enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies. Finally, Fiyero gently pulled away.

 _'Today went well, didn't it?'_ he signed gently.

 _'It went well.'_ Elphaba agreed. _'I honestly didn't know how my father was going to_ _react, but I'm glad he's happy.'_

 _'Well, we still have all day tomorrow. When does your family leave?'_

 _'The day after tomorrow. And I still have to tell Galinda. I don't want her finding out through the papers.'_

 _'That's fair. She is your best friend, right next to me, that is.'_

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but blushed as the prince kissed her cheek. _'Of course you're one of my best friends, Yero. You're one of the first friends I've ever had.'_

 _'I just love feeling special.'_

 _'I'm sure you do.'_

The prince gave her a faux-glare, but ended up kissing her senseless. Elphaba made a noise of surprise, but wrapped her arms around the prince and sighed peacefully.

"I love you so much, Fae," the prince whispered against her lips.

Elphaba looked slightly confused, but smiled when Fiyero signed to her. _'I love you, too, Yero.'_

 _'Good.'_ the prince smiled as he kissed her again and in a few minutes, they were fast asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

 **Translations:**

 **Ankanena Shenandoah = "Tales of Shenandoah" in Chichewa**

 **Teta = "Aunt" in Slovenian**

 **Special thanks to Google Translate for giving me a bit of help with this.**


	4. January

**Winkieprince: Aww! Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!**

* * *

"Looks like we'll be getting some snow soon," Amalie said as she watched as dark clouds slowly appeared in the sky.

"I'm surprised we haven't had any snow already," Raal commented, sipping his coffee. "It usually snows at least a little bit by now."

"Our real summer weather started a bit later last year, so maybe that's it."

"Do you think we'll get a snowstorm?"

"Maybe. I don't think it will snow a lot. Maybe a flurry to a few inches at most."

The king nodded and took his final sip of coffee as Elphaba and Fiyero walked in.

"Hello, Fiyero. Elphaba," Amalie smiled, signing to the green girl.

 _'Hi.'_ Elphaba smiled as she sat down on the couch across from the king and queen, with Fiyero sitting next to her.

 _'How are you feeling, Elphaba?'_ Raal asked.

 _'I'm fine. I'm much better now that I don't have morning sickness anymore.'_ The green girl looked down at her bulging abdomen. _'I guess this is finally starting to sink in.'_

 _'What is?'_ Amalie asked.

 _'The fact that I'm going to be a mother. The fact that Yero is going to be a father.'_ Elphaba smiled, looking at her husband.

The prince smiled and kissed her cheek. _'I'm very excited about becoming a father.'_

 _'And I a grandmother, although I personally do not think I look anything like a grandmother, right?'_ Amalie asked, smiling innocently. When no one responded, she glared at her family. Raal coughed, and she gave him a strong jab to the stomach. "I said, _right_?"

A grunt, followed by a, "Yes, dear", and an "Of course, Mother" followed that time. The queen smirked, good-naturedly, and allowed her husband to wrap his arms around her.

"You're still just as beautiful as the day we married," he said, kissing her forehead.

The queen smiled and kissed him again, and Fiyero made a face and a noise when the kiss deepened.

"We'll remember that when you and Elphaba feel the need to kiss each other's faces off in front of us," Amalie smirked at her son.

Fiyero wasn't even aware his parents were paying attention and blushed. "Right. Of course."

The monarchs smiled and excused themselves. They got up to leave, but Amalie remembered something. _'Oh, Elphaba, have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday in two weeks?'_

Elphaba paused. _'I… I haven't really thought about it.'_

 _'Do you want to do what we did last year?'_

 _'I liked having a small party. I've never been one for big festivities thrown for me.'_

 _'So, you don't want a party this year?'_ Fiyero asked.

Back at Shiz, he had asked Elphaba why she didn't like big parties. She had told him that it was too much chaos for her and she hated being in crowded settings. It had been a hassle to get her to agree to come to the Ozdust with him and Galinda. Once they were there, she pretty much stayed by Fiyero's side the entire night, her eyes darting this way and that, trying to figure out what was going on around her. They managed to get her to dance for a little while, but ended up leaving earlier than expected after Elphaba complained of a headache from the bright lights and the pulse of the music. She had insisted that she could return to her dorm by herself, but Fiyero and Galinda wouldn't have it. After walking with her back to the dorm, Elphaba insisted that they go back, but Galinda told her roommate that she would stay with her, and Fiyero claimed to be tired, anyway (which Elphaba didn't believe).

 _'If I do, I want it to be small, with just us.'_ Elphaba signed.

 _'Of course, Elphaba. We can do whatever you want.'_ Amalie smiled.

The green girl smiled and thanked the queen before excusing herself to go take a nap. Fiyero stayed behind to talk to his parents about something, but kissed his wife and said that he would be up in a bit. Elphaba didn't even bother to try and argue that she could take a simple nap without having someone check on her, but simply kissed him back.

When she woke a few hours later, she felt Fiyero's arms wrapped around her. Smiling, she slowly turned and saw that he was fast asleep, his mouth slightly open. She snuggled closer to him while trying not to wake him, but the prince's eyes opened a few seconds later and he smiled at her.

 _'Hey.'_ he signed tiredly, yawning.

 _'Hi. Did you have a nice nap?'_

 _'Yes.'_ the prince nodded as he pushed himself up, helping Elphaba up, as well.

 _'What did you and your parents talk about?'_

 _'Boring, princely things. Honestly, I don't remember most of it.'_

Elphaba chuckled softly and leaned her head against the prince's shoulder.

When a maid announced that lunch was ready, the couple had to cut their quality time short, especially when Fiyero heard his stomach growl and realized how hungry he actually was. The rest of the day passed quickly for them. They talked a bit more about Elphaba's birthday and decided to simply throw a small celebration for her in the Vinkus.

 _'Of course your father and sister can come, Elphaba.'_ Amalie smiled when Elphaba asked if she could invite her family. _'Also, I was wondering when you would like us to announce your pregnancy to the people.'_

 _'We can do it soon. I won't be able to hide it for much longer.'_ Elphaba signed, gently resting her hand against her abdomen.

 _'Speaking of the baby, we should probably call the castle doctor to come and examine you, just to make sure everything is okay so far.'_

 _'That's fine.'_

Amalie nodded and went away to take care of her royal duties. Fiyero stayed behind and aimlessly played with his wife's fingers, causing Elphaba to roll her eyes.

 _'How are you feeling?'_ Fiyero asked after he tenderly kissed all of Elphaba's fingers.

 _'I'm fine. I guess it's all starting to seem real now.'_

 _'It's been real for the past four months.'_

 _'I know, but now it really seems real.'_

 _'I know what you mean.'_

 _'I just hope that…'_ Elphaba suddenly stopped and her hand flew to her abdomen.

 _'Fae?'_ the prince asked, trying not to look as alarmed as he felt. _'Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby?'_

Elphaba's lips twitched before she smiled. _'I'm fine. It's just… I felt the baby move.'_

 _'You did?'_

Elphaba nodded. _'It felt like a little flutter.'_ She grabbed her husband's hand and placed it against her abdomen. _'Do you feel it?'_

Fiyero waited for a moment, and sure enough, he felt the little flutter of the baby. _'Yes! I felt it!'_

Elphaba wiped a tear from her eye and placed her hand on top of her husband's. _'It's really happening.'_

 _'It is.'_ Fiyero smiled, gently cupping the green girl's face in his hands and kissing her forehead.

* * *

 _Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Fiyero and Princess Elphaba, get to celebrate the princess' twenty-fourth birthday with the announcement that they are now expecting their first child. The couple has been married for the past two and a half years and is expecting their first child in mid-June._

Fiyero read the newspaper headline as he laid in bed next to his wife. He decided to let her sleep since it was her birthday. He looked out the window at the thick, white blanket of snow on the ground. Suddenly, he felt Elphaba stir and placed the paper aside and snuggled back under the covers next to her.

The green girl slowly opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of her husband. 'Hi.'

 _'Hey. Happy birthday, Fae.'_ the prince smiled, kissing her nose.

Elphaba chuckled and pushed herself up more. _'Thank you.'_ She allowed Fiyero to pull her closer to himself and relaxed against his chest.

 _'Are you ready for your birthday breakfast in bed?'_

 _'Yes. I suppose you're going to make me stay here while you go get it, aren't you?'_

 _'That's what a birthday breakfast in bed is.'_ Fiyero chuckled as he kissed her nose and quickly threw his legs over the edge of the bed. _'I'll be right back.'_

Elphaba nodded and watched as her husband left. She looked over and noticed the paper on his side dresser. The headline caught her attention and she picked it up, aimlessly skimming through the article about her relationship with Fiyero, a bit about their time at Shiz, and the beginning of speculation about the baby's gender and name.

Once Fiyero returned with two plates of bacon, eggs, and toast, and a cup of coffee for him, and milk for Elphaba, the couple settled back into bed and snuggled as they ate. Once they were finished, Fiyero put the tray on their nightstand and the two went to go get ready for the day.

 _'Good morning, Elphaba. Happy birthday.'_ Raal smiled when he saw the young couple enter the parlor.

 _'Good morning, Raal. And thank you.'_ Elphaba smiled as she moved to sit, but stopped.

 _'Elphaba, are you alright?'_ Amalie asked, putting her book down.

Elphaba slowly made her way to the window and looked out at the blanket of snow. She smiled softly, loving how everything looked clean and new.

Fiyero slowly approached her and placed his hand on the small of her back. _'It's beautiful, isn't it?'_ he signed.

 _'Yes, it is. Everything looks so beautiful and new.'_

The prince smiled sympathetically. He knew how much Elphaba had always wanted to play in the snow, but her water allergy had prevented her from doing that. As they studied in the library at Shiz, he would watch as she looked out the window at the other students having snowball fights, making snowmen, and sledding down the hills. She had confessed that since Nessa couldn't go out in the snow unless someone took her, she wasn't always alone back in Munchkinland. But at Shiz, Boq was more than happy to take Nessa outside in the snow, leaving Elphaba in her dorm or in the library.

The prince lightly took his wife's hand, pulling her from her thoughts. _'Come on. It's time to open your presents.'_

Elphaba smiled as Fiyero led her back to the couch and sat down next to her as she began to tear the wrapping paper off of the boxes. After receiving a new sweater, a scented cinnamon candle, a new book about the reign of Ozma the Terrible, and an empty scrapbook (which she guessed was for the baby), Amalie handed her another small package.

 _'This managed to get here, despite the snow.'_ the queen said as she handed Elphaba the box.

Elphaba looked at the address and grinned, seeing that it was from Galinda. She had written the blonde weeks ago to let her know that she was pregnant. She opened the letter first.

 _Dearest Elphie_ , it read,

 _Oh my Oz! You're pregnant? I'm going to become Auntie Galinda? Oh, this is so excitifying! I'm so happy for you and Fifi!_

 _Anyway, how have you been? I miss you so much, Elphie. It feels like it's been forever since we've seen each other (Don't roll your eyes, Elphie! I know it's been seven months, but it still feels like forever). I am having the most wonderful time in the Gillikin. Khynel and I are becoming more serious. I think he's close to proposing. Of course, I want to be surprised, and he knows that. I just hope it's soon. I'm not getting any younger, although I know it's very hard to tell (Stop rolling your eyes! I'm only a few months older than you!)._

 _Again, I miss you dearly and hope you are doing well. And no, Elphie, I didn't forget about your birthday. Happy birthday! I hope you like your gift and that you actually get it on your birthday. It's very unpredictable because of the snow._

 _Your bestest best friend,_

 _Galinda_

Elphaba smiled as she read the letter and gently placed it aside to open her present. She tugged at the ribbon and opened the box to reveal a bottle of rose scented Gillikin perfume. She sprayed a bit on her wrist and inhaled its sweet scent. She made a mental note to herself to write a thank you note to the blonde.

As the rest of the day passed, Fiyero noticed Elphaba becoming a bit distant. When he questioned her about it, she simply said that she was getting tired.

 _'You're upset that your father and sister couldn't be here because of the snow, aren't you?'_ he finally asked her that evening.

Elphaba blinked, obviously surprised by the question, and sighed. The amount of snow had caused almost all of the roads in the Vinkus to close, making it impossible for Frex and Nessa to travel there. _'I don't know. I mean, my father never made a big deal about my birthday growing up. I never got as many presents or as much attention as Nessa did, but overall, my birthdays weren't awful. If anything, I wanted to see Nessa again. I know we saw each other for Lurlinemas last month, and it's quite a trip across Oz, but we've always been together on our birthdays.'_

 _'We can always go to Munchkinland on her birthday.'_ the prince suggested.

 _'Yero, Nessa's birthday is in May. I'll be eight months pregnant. I might not be able to travel across Oz.'_

 _'She can always come here. You remember how beautiful the Vinkus is in May.'_

Elphaba sighed. _'I know it's kind of silly that I'm upset like this, but…'_

Fiyero quickly cut her off by gripping her hands. _'Fae, it's most certainly not silly. It's normal to miss your family.'_

 _'I know. I just feel… I don't know.'_

Fiyero gently pulled her against him. _'I know. But, you did have a nice birthday today, right?'_

 _'Of course I did, Yero. I got to spend it with you.'_ Elphaba smiled, initiating a kiss.

"Oz, I love you," Fiyero murmured against her lips. His hand lightly pressed against her abdomen and he felt the baby move again. "And I love you, too, little one."


	5. February

**Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: We'll see more of Elphaba's interactions with water later on.**

* * *

Fiyero walked through the halls of the castle with a large package in his hands and a big smile on his face. He found his wife exactly where he left her over an hour ago, reading in the parlor. Chuckling to himself, he went straight over to her and plopped down next to her.

Elphaba jumped slightly, but smiled when she saw Fiyero. _'Hi, Yero.'_

 _'Hi. This came in the mail for you.'_ the prince smiled as he handed her the package.

Elphaba looked at the address and blinked, seeing that it was from her father. She opened the box and gasped when she saw what was inside.

 _'What is it?'_ Fiyero asked, peering into the box.

 _'It's… my old baby things.'_ Elphaba signed as she pulled out blankets, clothes, and a few stuffed animals. _'I never knew my father kept all of this.'_ She pulled out a little light brown teddy bear and smiled. _'I used to love this bear.'_

Fiyero reached in and pulled out a small, tan blanket. Even though he knew it was old, it looked brand new, freshly washed and plushy soft _. 'That was very nice of him.'_

 _'I guess he really is excited about becoming a grandfather.'_

 _'It shows.'_ Fiyero took out a letter and handed it to his wife. _'I think this is from Nessa.'_

Elphaba took the envelope and her eyes scanned the paper.

 _Dear Fabala,_

 _I'm so sorry we couldn't make it for your birthday. We heard that the snow was very bad in the Vinkus and it wasn't that much better here in Munchkinland. Anyway, happy belated birthday. I hope you had a wonderful day. My present is enclosed the package. Father went through our attic and found some of your old baby things. He decided that he would send them to you and had them cleaned and freshened. He said that most of these things were bought before you were born, so you should be able to use them. He is very excited about becoming a grandfather. He is starting to call himself "Dedek" already. People are beginning to congratulate him, too. Everyone is very excited. He's even prepared something special that I'm not at liberty to say yet, but it's really sweet._

 _I hope to hear from you soon. I miss you, Fabala._

 _Your loving sister,_

 _Nessa_

Elphaba didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the familiar sting of her tears against her skin. Fiyero quickly wiped them away and kissed her superficial burns.

 _'Are you alright?'_ he asked when she had finished shedding tears.

 _'Yeah. This is just…'_ She picked up the teddy bear again, but stopped. She got a faraway look in her eyes as she looked at the toy.

 _'Fae?'_ Fiyero asked, lightly touching his wife's arm, but she didn't respond.

 _The green child at the tender age of two watched as her mother dangled the teddy bear in front of her face. She reached for it and her mother held it higher. She grunted as she reached for it again, but fell onto her side, not having very coordinated balance. Her mother gently helped her up and coaxed her to reach the toy again. She laughed softly and her lips moved, but the child couldn't hear her words. Finally, the child managed to grab the bear and hugged it close to her chest. The woman smiled sadly and kissed the child's forehead before pulling her into her arms._

 _'Fae?'_ Fiyero signed again, lightly tapping Elphaba's knee.

Elphaba blinked and managed to snap out of her daydream. _'What happened?'_

 _'I was just about to ask you the same thing. You looked at the bear and got this far away look in your eyes and wouldn't respond to me.'_

 _'Sorry. I… I think I just had… a flashback.'_

 _'A flashback?'_

Elphaba nodded. _'I think it was of my mother. She was playing with me, holding the bear in front of my face and trying to get me to grab it. But I don't remember much about that moment, and I hardly remember anything about her.'_

 _'You think something about looking at that bear triggered it?'_

 _'Probably. Most of my memories seem to start after she died. It's almost like she didn't even exist. Like she's only a figment of my imagination.'_

 _'I'm sorry, Fae.'_ Fiyero said, stroking the back of his wife's hand.

 _'It's okay. I'm fine.'_ Elphaba said as she began to pack up the baby things. _'I wonder what my father is working on.'_

Fiyero knew that she was trying to change the subject and played along. _'What do you mean?'_

 _'Nessa said that my father prepared something special that she's not allowed to tell me yet. Do you think it's about the baby?'_

 _'Maybe. He does seem pretty excited.'_

 _'I don't think I've ever seen him that excited over something having to do with me.'_

The prince knew that the relationship his wife had with her father was very complicated, so he simply let the subject drop and leaned his head against her shoulder. Elphaba quickly complied and wrapped her arms around him. The two stayed like that, and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The following Thursday, Fiyero was up at the crack of dawn, and was determined to wake Elphaba up as well. "Fae!" the prince whined like a little boy as he gently shook her shoulder. "Wake up!"

Elphaba moaned and sleepily swatted at the prince's hand. Pouting, Fiyero climbed on top of his wife and shook her arm. "Faeeeeeeee! Wake _uuuuuuuuup!_ "

Finally, the green girl sleepily opened her eyes and looked up at her husband. Grinning gleefully, Fiyero leaned over and kissed her nose. _'Morning!'_

Elphaba glared at him. _'Is there a reason you're waking me up at…'_ She looked at the clock, _'seven in the morning?'_

 _'Of course there is. Today is a very special day!'_

 _'And what day might that be?'_

Fiyero blinked. _'You don't remember?'_

 _'Was there something I was supposed to remember?'_

Even though he knew it was early, he didn't expect Elphaba to forget what today was. _'You honestly don't remember?'_

 _'No. Yero, just tell me. What is today?'_

 _'Well, I would think that my own wife would remember my birthday, but…'_

Once the news sunk in, Elphaba looked very hurt. _'Oh, Yero! I'm so sorry. I don't know how I could have possibly forgotten your birthday. I…'_

He cut her off with a kiss. _'It's okay. I'll let you blame the baby brain.'_

The green girl smiled softly. _'Happy birthday, Yero.'_

 _'Thank you. Now, come on! It's time to open presents!'_

Elphaba chuckled as her husband tugged on her arms and jumped up and down like a child. She complied and got out of bed, allowing him to pull her into a quick hug. Elphaba pulled away when she felt jerking motions from her womb and pressed her hand against her abdomen.

 _'The baby's moving again?'_ Fiyero asked.

 _'It feels like it. It feels like he or she is hiccuping.'_ Elphaba smiled, placing Fiyero's hand against her abdomen so he could feel.

Fiyero felt their baby's jerking motions and chuckled. _'That's so cool.'_

Once they were dressed, the couple walked down to the dining hall, where Raal and Amalie were seated, waiting for them.

"Good morning, you two. Happy birthday, Fiyero," Raal smiled at the couple.

"Happy birthday, Fiyero," Amalie greeted her son.

"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom. Can we open presents now?" Fiyero asked, giving them his best boyish smile.

The royal couple laughed and slowly shook their heads. "How about some breakfast first?" Amalie asked.

"Okay. We can have breakfast first," Fiyero said as he sat down and Elphaba sat down next to him.

Breakfast was, for the most part, a quiet meal, except for Fiyero, who was eagerly talking about how great the day was going to be. As soon as everyone was finished, everyone gathered into the parlor for the ceremonial "opening of the presents".

The child-at-heart prince tore the wrapping paper from his presents with such gusto. Half-an-hour and many happy squeals, thank yous, and kisses later, the royal family retired for the afternoon.

Early that evening, Fiyero found Elphaba taking a nap in their room. He carefully walked over to her, carrying a cherry pie in his hands, and gently held it under her nose.

Elphaba awoke to the sweet aroma and smiled. _'This is a nice surprise.'_

 _'It is my birthday, after all.'_ Fiyero smiled, placing the pie on the nightstand and helping Elphaba sit up.

Elphaba moved to cut a piece, but stopped. _'You didn't make this, did you?'_

 _'Why do you ask?'_

 _'Fiyero, you can't bake a pie.'_

 _'Hey, I'll have you know that I happen to be a great chef. Remember all of those romantic dinners we had at Shiz?'_

 _'First of all, you_ bake _a pie, not_ cook _it. And I remember how you would order in and pretend that you made it.'_

Fiyero blinked, shocked. _'How did you know?'_

 _'Because in our Home EC class, every time you tried to make something, it would either end up burnt or undercooked. That, and one time, I was walking to your dorm, and the delivery guy was coming out of your room.'_

The prince was silent. _'Well, since you don't want this, I'll just eat it by myself.'_ He moved to stand, but Elphaba grabbed his arm.

 _'Yero, I was kidding.'_

The prince sat back down. _'I know. So was I. Here.'_ He cut his wife a slice and handed it to her. _'And I didn't make this, just so you know.'_

Elphaba took a bite and smiled. _'I know. This tastes delicious.'_

The prince pouted and gently nudged her side. _'Hey! You have to be nice to the birthday boy.'_

 _'Why?'_ Elphaba asked innocently.

 _'Because it's my special day. Plus, I'm a royal.'_

 _'You're a royal something, all right.'_ Elphaba smirked as she finished her slice of pie.

As soon as she finished, Fiyero tackled her onto the bed and hovered over her. He smirked when she let out a surprised noise. _'Are you going to be nice to me?'_

 _'No.'_ Elphaba smirked back.

 _'Very well. You brought this upon yourself.'_ the prince signed before beginning to tickle her sides.

Elphaba burst into hearty laughs as she tried to get away, but Fiyero wouldn't let her. She twisted and turned and swatted at his hands, but he still refused to stop. Finally, after a few minutes of solid tickling, he stopped.

 _'Are you going to be nice to me?'_ he asked again.

 _'What if I say no?'_

 _'Then I'll be forced to tickle you for the rest of our lives.'_

Elphaba pretended think for a moment, then nodded. _'Alright. I'll be nice.'_

 _'Good.'_ Fiyero said before capturing Elphaba's lips in a kiss.

Elphaba gently pushed him away. _'Aren't you supposed to be getting ready to go now?'_

The prince blinked. _'Are you sure you want me to go?'_

 _'Yero, it's your birthday. Of course I want you to go. I want you to have fun.'_

 _'I wish you could come, too.'_

 _'Yero, you'll have fun at the Raven Tor Orchestra concert. You've always loved their music and wanted to see them live. Now you have your chance.'_

The Raven Tor Orchestra was a very popular orchestra from the Gillikin. They rarely traveled around to the other providences. They had given a few concerts while the gang was at Shiz, but they always had other engagements that stopped them from going. But since they announced that they were traveling to the Vinkus, and it was the prince's birthday, the royal family had arranged to go.

 _'I'm sorry.'_ the prince said, looking down slightly. _'I should have chosen something_ _we could both enjoy together.'_

 _'You have nothing to be sorry for. It's_ your _birthday, Yero. You can do whatever you want.'_

 _'But…'_

 _'I don't want you to feel sorry for me. Please, Yero. I've dealt with this type of stuff all my life. Go and have a good time.'_

Fiyero hesitated. He really wanted to go to the concert, but he didn't really think of Elphaba. How could she enjoy the orchestra performance if she couldn't hear the music?

 _'I'm feeling a bit tired anyway.'_ Elphaba signed. _'Plus, we spent the whole day together. I'll be fine by myself for a few hours.'_

 _'Are you sure?'_

 _'Yes, Yero. I'm positive. I don't want to stop you from having fun. Besides…'_ She gently took the prince's hands and placed them on her abdomen. _'You deserve to have a bit of fun before the baby comes.'_

The prince smiled softly. _'Okay. I'll go, but only if you're absolutely, positively, one hundred and one percent sure you want me to.'_

 _'I am. Now go get ready.'_

Half an hour later, Fiyero, Amalie, and Raal were in the foyer, dressed for the orchestra performance.

 _'Have fun.'_ Elphaba signed when Fiyero pulled her into a hug.

 _'I'll miss you.'_ Fiyero signed, looking into his wife's eyes.

 _'I'll miss you, too, but I'll be fine. I don't want you to spend the whole concert worrying about me. Have fun. You can tell me all about it when you get back.'_

 _'Okay.'_ With one final kiss, Fiyero, Raal, and Amalie walked to their waiting carriage.

Elphaba watched as they left, waving to the carriage until it was out of sight. Sighing, she walked back into the castle and settled into a chair in the parlor. True, she always wondered what it was like to hear music. She had no memory of hearing anything before she lost her hearing since she was a baby, so she had no idea of what she was missing out on.

She always wondered how much easier her life would be if she wasn't deaf… and green. Her whole life, she had to struggle to accomplish things that would have been very easy if she could hear. She started walking than later normal children because of the damage the illness had caused to her inner ear had affected her balance. She struggled to keep up with the reading levels of the other children. Her private tutor had told her father that she would never read over the level of a fourth grader, but that only made the green girl work harder to defy those odds. She had also tried to learn to lip-read, but she couldn't learn any more than a few short words, such as "me", "you", "we", "no", and "yes". She didn't receive a lot of help and support from her father, so she was mostly on her own. He had originally only sent her to Shiz to take care of Nessa since he didn't think he would be able to handle university work.

But she did it. But no matter how many obstacles she overcame, it never seemed to be enough for her father. He would nod at her and leave her with that. It used to bother the green girl, but now she just accepted it as her father's "way" with her. It took doing very well in Shiz and becoming the top of her graduating class for her father to finally see what she was capable of. She could probably still live with her green skin and water allergy, but she still wished that just for one day, she would be able to hear the world around her.

Sighing, she pushed herself up and walked up the stairs to the royal library. She aimlessly wandered through the columns of books until one book caught her attention. It was a pregnancy book. She had never really read any pregnancy books, but she picked up the book and settled onto the couch. She read through the book, learned how the baby was growing, and how her body would respond to the rapidly growing life within her. She marked the page she wanted to show Fiyero and went back downstairs.

Three hours later, the royal carriage returned to the castle. Fiyero was the first one out and hurried up the stairs to the castle. He found Elphaba in the parlor, taking a nap on the couch. Smiling, he slowly walked over to her and lowered himself onto the couch, lightly stroking her nose.

The green girl stirred and slowly opened her eyes. _'Hi. You're back.'_ she smiled, slowly pushing herself up.

Fiyero quickly pulled her into a kiss and held her close. _'I missed you.'_

 _'I missed you, too. How was the concert?'_

 _'It was very fun. The music was wonderful. I had a great time.'_ He tenderly stroked Elphaba's hair behind her ear. _'What did you do?'_

The green girl smirked. _'I was reading.'_

Fiyero rolled his eyes, but was still smiling. _'Of course. What were you reading?'_

Elphaba reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the pregnancy book. Fiyero read the cover and smiled.

 _'Open it to the marked page.'_ Elphaba signed.

Fiyero obeyed and his eyes scanned the page. He smiled as he read what was to be expected during the fifth month of pregnancy. When he read the part he suspected Elphaba wanted him to read, he looked up. _'The baby can hear?'_

Elphaba nodded. _'According to the book.'_

Fiyero smiled as he leveled his head with Elphaba's stomach. "Hey, little one. It's Daddy. Can you hear me?"

The baby kicked in response and both parents-to-be smiled.

 _'The baby heard me!'_ Fiyero signed, positively gleeful.

 _'I felt it.'_ Elphaba smiled, tears welling in her eyes as she leaned her body against her husband's.

Fiyero looked down at her stomach before meeting his wife's eyes. He couldn't find the words to say, so he simply settled for wiping away her tears before they could burn her cheeks and cradled her in his arms. The baby kicked again and Fiyero gently placed his hands against Elphaba's abdomen, smiling as he felt her place her hands on top of his.

* * *

 **As you probably guessed, "Dedek" is 'Grandpa' in Slovenian.**


	6. March

**Here is an early update for you all! You're welcome!**

 **Guest: I cannot divulge the gender of the baby, but I can assure you that "He heard me!" was a typo. Thank you for your review!**

* * *

"Fiyero, this letter just came for you and Elphaba," Raal said as he went through the mail.

Fiyero took the letter from his father and smiled, seeing as it was from a certain blonde. "Thanks, Dad." He hurried away to find Elphaba. He checked the parlor, library, and their bedroom, but she was nowhere to be found. He started to panic a bit, wondering where she could have gone. She wouldn't be able to hear him calling to her, so that plan was out. He didn't know what else to do.

"Your Highness?" a passing maid asked, seeing the prince in distress.

Fiyero turned around. "Have you seen Elphaba?"

The maid smiled. "She's resting outside on the patio."

"Thank you," he said, letting out a breath of relief as he hurried away. Sure enough, he found Elphaba resting in a rocking chair under the shade of a large umbrella. She must have sensed the prince's presence, because she turned around and smiled at him. _'Hey, Fae.'_

 _'Hi. Were you looking for me?'_

 _'Yes. This letter came from Galinda for the both of us.'_

Elphaba smiled as Fiyero pulled up a chair next to her as he handed her the letter. Elphaba opened it and scanned through it, with Fiyero reading over her shoulder.

 _Dearest Elphie and Fifi,_

 _I would start this letter off by telling you my big news, but seeing as it's so big, I'll wait. I received your last letter, Elphie, and I'm so glad you're doing well. Anyway, the purpose of my letter is that I will be coming, along with my parents, at the end of March. It's been far too long since I've seen the two of you. I shall tell you my big news then._

 _Till then,_

 _Galinda_

Fiyero smiled at the short, but sweet, letter. In truth, he had missed the bubbly blonde, and he knew Elphaba missed her, too. _'I guess we'll be seeing Galinda soon.'_

 _'I'm glad. I've missed her.'_ Elphaba smiled. _'I wonder what her big news is.'_

 _'Knowing her, it's probably very big.'_

Elphaba smiled, but it slowly turned into a frown as she shifted her weight. Fiyero got up and got her an extra pillow and placed it behind her back. The green girl smiled as Fiyero moved to sit across from her and gently lifted her feet into his lap. _'Thank you.'_ she signed as Fiyero gave her a foot massage.

The prince simply smiled as he continued his task. He heard his wife moan in comfort and pretty soon, she was fast asleep. Slowly, the prince gently set her feet down and lifted her into his arms. He carried her back into the castle and up the stairs to their bedroom, moving very slowly so her wouldn't wake her. Even though she was six months pregnant, she hadn't gained that much weight. When he slowly lowered her into the bed, the green girl moaned softly and half-opened her eyes. The prince coaxed her back to sleep by kissing her nose and tenderly stroking her cheek. Elphaba's eyes fluttered closed and she was asleep again. Fiyero climbed into the bed with her and pulled her close. He loved doing things like that. And he loved it because he loved her.

* * *

At the end of the month, Elphaba, Fiyero, Raal, and Amalie waited in the foyer for the Duke, Duchess, and Galinda to arrive. Elphaba had been very tired and was suffering from back pain, but she insisted that she could greet her best friend. Fiyero, ever the over-protective husband, tried to convince her otherwise, but she had simply put her foot down and said that she was going to stay up. It was a battle that Fiyero begrudgingly lost, but he said nothing as the four royals waited.

But he was determined to get one more word in, so he tapped his wife's shoulder to get her attention. _'Fae, I mean this. If you feel tired or in pain, rest. Galinda will understand.'_

Elphaba didn't look very happy, but she knew that Fiyero only meant well, so she agreed. They had just pulled away from their kiss when the sound of horses against the cobblestone path caught the monarch's and Fiyero's attention.

"Now announcing the Duke and Duchess of the Gillikin, Sir Highmuster and Lady Larena Upland of Frottica!" the footman announced as the doors opened.

Before anyone could do or say anything, a blur of blonde and pink shot forward and wrapped her arms tightly around the green girl. "Oh, Elphie! I've missed you so much!"

Elphaba startled and stumbled back from the hug, but smiled as she wrapped her arms around the blonde. Galinda quickly remembered herself and greeted the king and queen and hugged Fiyero, before turning her attention back to her friend. _'Oh, Elphie! How have you been? I've missed you so much! Are you feeling alright? How far along are you? Oh, and I have wonderful news to share with you!'_

Elphaba laughed and grabbed the blonde's hands, stopping her mid-rant. _'First, hi, Glin. I've missed you, too. Second, I've been fine. And third, I'm six months along.'_

 _'May I?'_ Galinda asked, looking at Elphaba's stomach.

The green girl nodded and Galinda gently placed her hand against Elphaba's stomach, smiling when she felt the baby move. _'I'm very happy for you two.'_

 _'Thank you, Glin.'_ Elphaba smiled.

"Why don't we go into the parlor and relax?" Amalie suggested, gesturing to the room.

Everyone agreed and Galinda took her friend's arm and practically dragged her into the room.

 _'What's your news, Galinda?'_ Elphaba asked as one of the maids served tea and biscuits.

The blonde giggled and took off her white gloves, revealing a very shiny engagement ring on her left hand ring finger. _'I'm engaged.'_

Elphaba's face lit up as she examined her friend's ring. Larena and Highmuster looked very proud and Fiyero couldn't stop smiling.

 _'Khy proposed?'_ Elphaba signed excitedly.

Galinda nodded. _'He did. It was four weeks ago. He took me to a very elegant restaurant and once we finished our dessert, he proposed. It was so romantic.'_

 _'I'm so happy for you.'_ Elphaba said as she hugged her friend.

 _'Thank you.'_

 _'When is the wedding?'_

 _'It will be in late September. You'll be there, right? I know you'll probably be busy with the baby, though.'_

 _'Don't be silly, Glin. Of course I'll be at your wedding. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'_

 _'Good, because I want to make you my maid of honor.'_

 _'I would love to.'_

The friends continued to chat until a servant came and announced that the Uplands' belongings have been brought to their rooms upstairs. They thanked him, and the Duke and Duchess excused themselves to unpack and rest before dinner, and recommended that Galinda do the same. Elphaba offered to help her, which helped the blonde to agree to her parents' wishes.

 _'How long are you staying?'_ Elphaba asked as she helped Galinda unpack.

 _'The whole week. We leave at the beginning of next month.'_ Galinda signed before hanging up her last dress. She turned around and found Elphaba sitting down on her bed, one hand pressed against her abdomen. _'Elphie, are you alright?'_

Elphaba inhaled deeply and rubbed her stomach. Galinda was by her side in a flash and gently placed her hand on her knee. _'Elphie?'_

 _'I'm fine. Just the combination of the baby moving and my back and leg pain isn't the most ideal situation right now.'_

 _'Is there anything I can do to help? Do you want Fiyero?'_

 _'I'm fine for now. Just… distract me.'_

The blonde nodded and thought for a moment. _'Do you remember our junior year when we went to the art museum?'_

 _'I remember both you and Fiyero getting food poisoning on our second day there.'_

Galinda made a face as she sat next to her friend. _'Yeah. That wasn't very fun.'_

Elphaba chuckled. _'Or the time we went shopping, but you didn't buy anything.'_

 _'I did buy something… for you. You simply couldn't only have frocks in your closet. Plus, Momsie and Popsicle had put me on a 'limited spending allowance' to stop me from buying more clothes. But they didn't say I couldn't buy for my friends. Or… ooh! What about your very first party at the Ozdust?'_

Elphaba smiled slightly. _'I hated it at first.'_

 _'Then you grew to love it.'_

 _'I started to get a headache and I told you that I could go back to the room alone. I didn't want to have you and Fiyero cut your night short because of me.'_

 _'But it was your very first party ever.'_

 _'And thanks to you and Fiyero, it wasn't my last.'_

 _'You're welcome.'_

Fiyero walked in and smiled, seeing the two girls together. "Hey."

"Hi, Fifi. We were just talking about Shiz memories," Galinda smiled.

The prince smiled as he sat down on the other side of his wife. _'Remember that one time you got sick and Galinda, Nessa, and I took care of you?'_

Elphaba rolled her eyes. _'Yes, Yero. I remember.'_

 _'I remember that, too. You acted as though you were perfectly fine and didn't need any help, but couldn't take more than three steps without getting dizzy.'_ Galinda smiled.

 _'I wasn't used to accepting extra help, especially from Nessa. The original reason I was sent to Shiz was to take care of her.'_

 _'Why? I mean, I know you took care of her because she's your little sister and you love her, but I always felt there was more to it than that.'_ Fiyero signed gently.

Elphaba sighed. _'There is. I've never received any help with anything from my father. He was stricter with me than with Nessa. I guess it was because he thought that even though I can't hear, I could still do more than she could. So it was my job to help and take care of her. The last thing my father told me after dropping us off at Shiz was to take care of Nessa.'_

…

 _As the gates of Shiz University came into view, Nessarose Thropp couldn't help but grin gleefully. "We're almost there!"_

 _"We are, indeed," the Governor smiled._

 _Nessa looked out the window as the carriage slowed to a stop. Frex turned towards his eldest daughter and impatiently tapped her knee. The green girl startled slightly and looked up from her book_. 'Pay attention, Elphaba.' _he signed to her._

'I'm sorry, Father.' _Elphaba signed back as she quickly put her book away._

 _The governor sighed impatiently, but his expression immediately softened as he helped his youngest out of the carriage. Elphaba climbed out last, looking around at the campus as her sister got settled. She saw students and teachers alike, walking around and talking to each other. She smiled to herself, wondering what type of intellectual thoughts they were exchanging._

 _Once Nessa was settled in her wheelchair, Frex gave Elphaba his 'Come on' look before heading off to the registration tables. Elphaba immediately followed, walking a few feet behind her family._

 _"Alright, my dear, this is where I must leave you," Frex said to Nessa once both girls were checked in._

 _"I'll miss you, Father," Nessa said as her father knelt in front of her to give her a hug._

 _"I'll miss you, too, my precious little flower. But before I go, a parting gift." He reached amongst the suitcases and pulled out a decorated box._

 _"Father!" Nessa smiled as she took the box and opened it, revealing the most beautiful pair of silver jeweled shoes she had ever seen. "Ooh! Jeweled shoes!"_

 _"As befits the future governor of Munchkinland."_

 _Elphaba watched the entire scene, wondering what they were saying, while trying her best not to care. All she knew was this; her father didn't get anything for her._

 _Frex turned to Elphaba and the green girl immediately straightened, in fear that her father might scold her if she didn't._ 'Take care of your sister.' _was all he signed to her._

'I will, Father.'

 _Frex looked at her before turning back to Nessa, placing a tender kiss in her hair, and walking away. Elphaba watched him go and vanish from sight. She turned back to her sister, who was still admiring her new shoes. She took a step forward, and Nessa must have noticed it out of her peripheral vision, because she looked up at her sister._

'They're beautiful.' _Elphaba signed, smiling softly._

 _Nessa looked at her shoes, then back at her sister._ 'Fabala…'

'It's alright. What could he have gotten me? I clash with everything.'

'If you want, you can borrow them whenever you want. We do wear the same shoe size.'

'That's very thoughtful of you, Nessie, but really, I'm fine. I don't need any new shoes.'

'But you wanted something.'

'It's fine, Nessa.'

'But, Fabala…'

 _Elphaba gently cut her sister off by taking her hands. She slowly lowered them onto her lap and stroked a section of her hair behind her ear._ 'I'm okay.'

 _Nessa didn't look very happy, but dropped the subject._

'Cheer up, Nessa. We're at Shiz University. This is what you've always wanted.'

'But this is what you wanted, too, right?'

'I'm just happy that you're happy.'

'But are _you_ happy?'

'Nessa…'

'No, Fabala. We're not going to do this. Not this time. Not here. You never tell me how you're really feeling. You always suppress your emotions and never tell me anything.'

 _Elphaba desperately looked for a way to change the subject. She saw that the other first-year students were beginning to gather around a woman in bright red robes in the center of the quad._ 'What's going on over there?'

'Elphaba, don't try to change the subject on me. We never talk about this. We need to talk.'

'Nessa, we can talk later, but right now, I think we should go where everyone else is going.'

 _The younger Thropp frowned, but slowly lightened up when she saw the look on her sister's face. She slowly nodded and allowed her sister to push her over to where everyone else is gathering. As they walked, eyes slowly drifted over to them, but most of them rested on Elphaba. They began whispering behind their hands, their eyes never leaving the tall, green girl. Elphaba tried to ignore them. After all, whether they covered their mouths or not didn't make a difference to her._

'Who is that?' _Elphaba asked, pointing to the woman in the robes._

'She said her name is Madame Morrible. She's the head "Shiztress".'

 _Elphaba smiled to herself._ 'What is she talking about?'

'She's giving out room assignments.'

 _The exchange between the two sisters didn't go unnoticed by some of the other students, who only saw it as an opportunity to whisper more._

 _"Miss Nessarose Thropp!" Madame Morrible called._

 _"Here, Madame!" Nessa smiled as Elphaba turned to get their suitcases._

 _The Shiztress smiled and approached the wheelchair-bound girl. "It's very nice to meet you, dearie. My, what a tragically beautiful face you have."_

 _Nessa blushed. "Thank you."_

 _Elphaba watched Morrible and Nessa and, when it looked like they were done speaking, tapped Morrible on the shoulder._

 _"Yes, and who is – OH!" Morrible gasped when she saw Elphaba, who was secretly glad she couldn't hear the older woman's scream._

 _"This is my sister, Elphaba," Nessa said softly, looking from her sister to Morrible._

 _"Well… yes, I… um… well…" Morrible stammered, at a complete loss of words._

 _Elphaba would have laughed at how comical the old woman looked, but simply settled for a polite smile._

 _"I… I'm sure you're very bright, too," she said to Elphaba._

 _"Bright? She's practically phosphorescent!" a girl with an enormous mountain of suitcases laughed, causing a few students to giggle._

 _Morrible quickly turned back to Nessa. "Your father made his concern for you quite apparent, my dear. You will share my compartment, where I can assist you as needed."_

 _Nessa nodded. "But what about my sister?"_

 _"Miss Elphaba!" Morrible called, and was very surprised when Elphaba, who was looking at the clock tower, didn't respond. "Miss Elphaba!" she said again, but was met with the same result._

 _"My sister is deaf, Madame," Nessa said, much louder than she intended._

 _A chorus of gasps, "she's deaf?"s, and "the artichoke?"s went up amongst the students. The brunette looked down slightly, embarrassed. Elphaba must have sensed something, because she turned around. She saw everyone staring at her and Nessa's head bowed before slowly looking up to meet her gaze, and she began to put the pieces together._

'I'm sorry, Nessa.' _she signed, a rush of guilt washing over her._

 _Nessa put her hand up to stop her sister's apology, trying to give her a reassuring look, but the green girl didn't buy it for a clock-tick._

 _"Well… tell your sister that your father never mentioned her before, but not to fret. We will find someplace to put her." She then walked away to tend to the other students._

'I really am sorry, Nessa. I should have been paying more attention.' _Elphaba signed as she knelt next to her sister._

 _Nessa regarded her sister. She knew that her sister's love for books and agriculture caused her to get very distracted at times, and she couldn't help herself._ 'It's okay, Fabala. I understand. Morrible was just saying how I was going to room with her.'

 _Elphaba blinked_. 'I thought we were supposed to be rooming together.'

'She said she would find a roommate for you.' _Nessa said, being very selective about what she told her sister._

 _Elphaba didn't look very happy, but took to watching everyone else._

 _"Attention students," Morrible said as she approached the Thropp sisters and pulled Elphaba to her feet and away from Nessa. "Which one of you ladies would like to volunteer to room with Miss Elphaba?"_

 _"Madame Morrible!" the blonde girl who had made the phosphorescent comment about Elphaba called, her hand shooting into the air as she walked over to her._

 _"Why, thank you, Miss Upland. How very good of you. You see, Miss Elphaba, you can room with Miss Galinda," she said, placing their hands on top of one another._

 _The girl pulled away, her face a mixture of shock and disgust. "No, Madame. You don't understand. That wasn't what I was going to ask you."_

 _"You ladies will share Room Twenty-Two in Crage Hall. Everyone to your dorms, please!" she said as she handed both girls a key._

 _Elphaba turned and hurried back to her sister_. 'Nessa…'

'Fabala, don't worry about me. I'll be fine.'

'But I promised Father…'

'I'll be fine.' _Nessa signed before Morrible wheeled her away to their room._

 _The rest of the students began to dissipate to their dorms, leaving Elphaba alone. She looked down at the key in her hand with a tag reading Crage Hall Room Twenty-Two. Guessing that was where her room was, looked around. There was no one around who she could get directions from, and even if there were, she probably wouldn't be able to communicate with them. She wished Nessa had at least told her where Crage Hall was, but since she didn't, she was forced to wander around until she finally saw a sign that read "Crage Hall"._

…

Elphaba soon found herself resting her head against the prince's chest, feeling the up and down motions of his chest as he breathed. She looked up at him and smiled as he kissed her forehead. He then began to massage her temple, causing to release a low moan of contentment.

 _'Of course, I don't regret that rooming decision. Well, at first, maybe I did, but then we got to know each other and it turned out well, didn't it?'_ Galinda smiled.

 _'It did.'_ Elphaba agreed, then shifted her weight. She grimaced, then shifted again. _'I'm fine. The baby's just moving a lot.'_ she signed when she saw the concerned look on her husband's face.

 _'Would you like to lay down?'_ he asked.

 _'I'm not tired.'_

 _'It might make you feel more comfortable.'_

Elphaba sighed, but decided that it was better than being in discomfort. _'Okay.'_ she agreed.

Fiyero smiled and helped his wife into the bed. Galinda got an extra pillow and fluffed it for her roommate. Sure enough, shortly after Elphaba got settled, she was fast asleep.

* * *

 **Any guesses on the baby's gender? And the next update will be on Sunday.**


	7. April

**Guest: You're right! It could be a boy or a girl! LOL!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Don't worry. You can dismiss the Frex Hunters. And you're also right. It could be a boy or a girl.**

* * *

With the first week of April came beautiful weather. Galinda took to making her last four days in the Vinkus the best ever and spent most of the waking hours with Elphaba. Not that the green girl minded. She enjoyed spending time with her best friend. The blonde made sure that the baby got used to hearing her voice, and even got a few kicks of responses, which made her giggle in delight.

 _'How are you feeling, Elphie?'_ she asked as the two rested on the balcony, sipping lemonade.

 _'Like a personal punching bag.'_ Elphaba signed as a sudden kick almost caused her to spill her drink.

The blonde smiled sympathetically and handed the green girl a napkin. _'Your little one just wants some attention.'_

 _'I don't know how much more attention he or she could want at this point. He or she is pretty much active all the time and never seems to want to settle down. I'm giving all the attention now that they're ever going to get.'_

Galinda chuckled. _'Do you want to go back inside?'_

 _'In a little bit. The weather is really nice.'_

The two stayed outdoors for a while longer, until Elphaba finally had enough of the baby moving and decided that she wanted to lay down. The blonde helped her friend to her feet and they walked inside. Elphaba immediately went upstairs and tried to relax, and finally, the baby seemed to calm a bit.

When she woke up a few hours later, she found herself in Fiyero's arms. She smiled as she snuggled closer to him and inhaled his sweet scent. The prince immediately wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. He gently rubbed her baby bump, causing Elphaba to chuckle. The two stayed silent, their fingers intertwined. Elphaba felt Fiyero's heart beating and allowed it to comfort her. Fiyero took comfort in the fact that his wife and future child were right here with him in his arms, and everything was going to be okay.

Finally, with Fiyero's help, Elphaba turned around to face him. _'How long were you here?'_

 _'Galinda said you wanted to rest, but I was helping my father with boring, business things. I came around an hour and a half ago.'_ He scooted down to level with Elphaba's stomach. "I hope you didn't miss me too much, little one."

He got a kick and smiled as he rested his head against the baby bump, but something made him stiffen. Elphaba felt his movements and inquired as to what was wrong, but he didn't answer. His ear was pressed against Elphaba's stomach and his eyes were wide in awe. A smile quickly its way into his face and he let out a laugh.

 _'Yero?'_ Elphaba signed when he finally looked up at her. _'What's wrong?'_

 _'Nothing's wrong, Fae.'_ Fiyero signed, still smiling. _'I just… I heard the baby's heartbeat.'_

 _'What?'_

 _'I just heard the baby's heartbeat.'_ the prince repeated.

Elphaba smiled broadly. _'That's amazing.'_

Fiyero wrapped his arms around his wife's neck and kissed her passionately. _'Do you want to go and tell everyone else?'_

Elphaba nodded. _'Sure.'_

Needless to say, everyone was super excited and wanted to hear. Galinda had squealed when she heard the little, but strong heartbeat. Raal looked very proud and Amalie looked like she was going to cry.

After being on the receiving end of all the attention and belly touching, Elphaba excused herself for some alone-time. They didn't think anything of it, knowing how Elphaba needed some personal time ever now and again, but Fiyero sensed that there was something else wrong. After leaving Elphaba alone for a few moments, he asked a servant of her whereabouts and found her in the library. He gently touched her shoulder, trying not to startle her (even though he did, anyway), and sat down next to her. _'What's wrong?'_ he asked, skipping the "Are you alright?" question, since he already knew the answer to that.

Elphaba regarded him and sighed. _'Everyone's heard the baby's heartbeat.'_

 _'I know. They seemed really happy and excited.'_

 _'I should be able to hear it, too.'_

Fiyero suddenly realized what this was about and gently pulled her into a gentle hug. "Oh, Fae," he said into her hair.

Elphaba gently pulled away _. 'I'm already missing milestones, and the baby isn't even born yet. What will happen when they have their first laugh, or say their first word, or cries, or…'_

 _'Hey.'_ the prince signed gently. _'Don't worry about that. You still be able to be a part of many other firsts, like their first solid foods, their first smile, their first steps…'_

 _'But it's not enough!_ ' Elphaba argued, interrupting him. _'Our child deserves more than a mother who can only be there half of the time.'_

 _'You'll be there all the time, Fae. Being deaf won't change that. You have so much to teach our child; how to think for themselves, how to sign, how to have good study habits, because Oz knows I won't.'_

Despite herself, Elphaba chuckled softly.

 _'Plus, you have people to help you. You have my parents, Galinda when she can visit, your family when they can visit, and me. We're all here for you, Fae. And we'll get through everything together. Even if you weren't deaf, we would still be here for you.'_

Elphaba considered all this. She knew she would always have the support of her friends and family. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt her cheeks stinging and Fiyero quickly wiped them away, kissing her superficial burns. _'I love you.'_ she signed as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

 _'I love you, too, Fae. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that Cally and Windon are coming tomorrow.'_

Elphaba smiled. She liked Fiyero's cousins. She met them when Fiyero first took her to the Vinkus their second year of Shiz. They didn't know sign language back then, but took a quick liking to Fiyero's then-girlfriend. By the time of the wedding, they were both fluent in sign language. She hadn't seen them since the wedding, but had been in constant correspondence since then. _'I can't wait to see them again. How long are they staying?'_

 _'Just for three days. They're coming for my parent's wedding anniversary.'_

 _'Oh, yeah. I forgot that was this month.'_

 _'Geez, Fae. You really have a bad case of baby brain.'_ the prince chuckled.

Elphaba smiled sheepishly and leaned against him. The baby seemed to be having a grand time making Elphaba feel uncomfortable by doing summersaults and kicking her rib cage. She balled her fists against Fiyero's shirt in an attempt to stop herself from crying out. Soon enough, the baby calmed and Elphaba decided to get up and walk around before it started again.

The next day, Elphaba and Galinda were relaxing in the parlor. The blonde was doing her nails while Elphaba was reading the newspaper. Fiyero came in looking positively gleeful. He jumped onto the couch next to his wife and laid his head in her lap. Elphaba looked down and saw him looking up at her with his wide, sparkling eyes.

 _'Is there something you wanted?'_ Elphaba asked, placing the newspaper aside.

 _'Yes. Your attention. You've been here for all of half-an-hour.'_

Elphaba rolled her eyes _. 'It's only been half-an-hour, Yero.'_

 _'That's half-an-hour you didn't spend with me.'_ the prince pouted.

 _'Yero, you're going to have to get used to sharing me. We'll be parents soon.'_

 _'I know.'_ The prince looked at Elphaba's stomach. "I hope you're happy."

The baby did a summersault and kicked Elphaba's bladder. The green girl excused herself to go to the bathroom and waddled out of the room. When she got back, Cally and Windon had arrived. The monarchs, Fiyero, and Galinda were greeting them in the parlor, and when Cally saw Elphaba slowly coming down the stairs, her smile broadened. _'Hi, Elphaba.'_

 _'Hi, Cally.'_ the green girl smiled when she descended the steps, slightly breathless, and quickly pulled her cousin-in-law into a hug.

 _'How have you been?'_

 _'Fine, considering the fact that the baby never seems to want to settle down.'_

 _'Oh, they'll be like that, even after their born.'_ Cally said before turning her attention to her two children.

Windon and Elphaba greeted each other before Elphaba turned her attention back to Cally and the children. _'I didn't know you were bringing Dahlia and Maven.'_ Elphaba smiled as she watched as she tried to get her twin three-year-old girls together. The girl were complete carbon copies of their mother, with their shoulder-length brown, wavy hair, brown eyes, and soft features.

 _'I had to. Our usual babysitter got sick and we couldn't find a replacement at such a last minute notice.'_

"Hey, girls," Fiyero said as the twins ran over to him and attached themselves to his pant leg.

"Hi, Uncle Yewo!" the girls chorused.

"Did you girls say hi to Auntie Elphaba?"

The girls detached themselves from the prince and ran over to their aunt, who knelt down to greet them. "Hi, Auntie Elphieba!" they giggled, hugging their aunt.

Elphaba smiled as she hugged the children, having not seen them in a year and a half.

"What's that?" Maven asked when they pulled away, pointing at Elphaba's stomach.

The green girl got the message and signed the word for 'baby'.

"Do you know what's she's saying?" Cally asked, kneeling behind her children. She had been teaching her daughters sign language so they could talk to Elphaba. "What does it look like she's doing?"

"Rocking a baby?" Maven asked, looking up at her mother.

"So what do you think the sign means?"

The girls looked at Elphaba signing and tried to figure out what she was saying. "Baby!" Dahlia finally smiled, copying Elphaba. "It means 'baby'!"

"Right! Auntie Elphaba is going to have a baby," Cally grinned.

"When?" Maven asked.

"In a few months," Fiyero smiled.

Elphaba gently took the girl's hands to get their attention. _'You'll be big cousins in a few months.'_

"You'll be big cousins in a few months," Fiyero translated as he helped his wife back to her feet.

"Wow," Maven whispered, still looking at Elphaba's stomach.

Everyone soon moved into the parlor for coffee and cakes. Elphaba couldn't have any coffee, so the maid brought her a glass of warm milk instead.

 _'Elphaba, the girls want to know if they can feel the baby move.'_ Cally signed once everyone was settled.

 _'Of course.'_ the green girl smiled, opening her arms to the girls.

Maven and Dahlia ran over to their aunt and climbed onto the couch on either side of her. They both placed their little hands against Elphaba's abdomen and felt the baby move.

"If you talk to the baby, you may get a kick in response," Fiyero chirped from his chair.

"Really?" Dahlia asked.

The prince nodded. "Try it."

"Hi, baby!" the twins giggled to Elphaba's stomach.

They felt the baby kick and gasped in awe. "Mama! Mama! We felt the baby kick!" Dahlia said as they ran back into their mother's arms, jumping in excitement.

"That's wonderful, dears," Cally smiled, exchanging an amused look with Elphaba as everyone laughed.

Once things settled down and Windon took the twins up for their nap, Cally and Elphaba caught up.

 _'How are you really feeling?'_ Cally asked. _'Woman to woman.'_

 _'Emotionally, I think I'm okay. I don't think I'm as nervous as I was about being a mother when I first found out. Physically, I still feel like a personal punching bag. I am constantly breathless and have constant back and leg pain. I can't seem to fall asleep at night, and because of that, Fiyero thinks that he has to stay up with me, even when I tell him to go back to bed.'_

Cally laughed. _'I know Windon_ wished _I would have let him sleep when I was pregnant with the twins. Have you and Fiyero started working on the nursery?'_

 _'We haven't. I know there's a special room set aside, and Fiyero and I have seen it, but we haven't started decorating it yet.'_

 _'I recommend starting soon. Because as your little one gets bigger, you begin to move around less and less.'_

 _'You were carrying twins.'_

 _'And it's still not as different.'_

The next day, Fiyero, Galinda, Cally, and Elphaba went to work decorating the nursery. Fiyero had asked some servants to go up into one of the spare rooms and find any baby things that they could use. They found a surprising amount of useful items. They found Fiyero's old crib, some old baby blankets, toys, and books. They set up a rocking chair next to the crib and painted the walls a light blue. They set up the dresser and filled it with a few baby clothes and some clothes Galinda had brought with her.

 _'It could be a girl, Elphie.'_ she signed logically when Elphaba opened the suitcase filled with pink baby dresses and gave her a look.

 _'Or a boy. What if it's a boy?'_ Elphaba asked.

 _'Then I'll just have to wait until you have a girl.'_

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but smiled. _'One baby at a time, Glin.'_

The group admired their hard work once they finished. _'Do you like it, Elphaba?'_ Cally signed.

Elphaba looked around the room and smiled. _'I love it.'_

 _'So do I.'_ Fiyero smiled, pulling Elphaba closer. _'It looks great. I'm sure the baby will love it, too.'_

The following day, everyone stood in the parlor as they bid the blonde and her parents farewell.

 _'I'll miss you so much, Elphie.'_ she said as she gave her a goodbye hug.

 _'I'll miss you, too, Glin.'_ the green girl smiled, watching as the servants carried the Uplands' many suitcases into the waiting carriage.

The Uplands bid their farewells and gave thanks to the king and queen before gently telling their daughter to release the green girl. The blonde obeyed and said goodbye to the baby before following her parents.

Elphaba and Fiyero watched as the carriage drove away and vanished from sight. They were going to miss the blonde. The moment was interrupted by the baby pressing against Elphaba's bladder and kicking her ribcage. She hurried as fast as she could to the bathroom. When she came out, she had a horrible attack of back pain and went back to her room to lay down.

The wedding anniversary of the king and queen was rather eventful. There was a parade, fireworks, and a grand festival to celebrate the day. Children were off from school and played and danced in the streets. Elphaba participated in as many activities as she could before succumbing to kicks and pains and went to rest for the majority of the afternoon.

* * *

A week after Cally, Windon, Dahlia, and Maven left, with the promise that they would come back to visit and see the baby, Elphaba was in the parlor, reading. Fiyero was working with his father, and Amalie was taking an afternoon nap. The green girl looked outside and decided that she would take a quick walk to stretch her legs. She would be back before Fiyero and Raal were finished working and before Amalie woke up. Grunting softly, she pushed herself up and grabbed a light sweater before making her way outside.

The green girl smiled as she walked through the garden, looking as the last remnants of winter disappeared, making way for the flowers as they began to bloom. She didn't realize she had wandered far from the castle until she felt moisture in the air. She looked up and saw the clouds beginning to darken and she smelt the familiar scent in the air that came right before it started to rain.

She barely had time to react before it started to downpour. She covered herself as best she could, but her sweater wasn't very thick. She looked around, searching for shelter. There was a small shed around a quarter of a mile away, and she hurried as quickly as she could towards it. She made it before the rain had really affected her, but she didn't make it out unharmed. Most of the burns were on her face, neck, and arms. Her neck didn't hurt as much as her face and arms did. She knew she would probably have to apply her burn cream on her injuries soon or risk getting an infection, which would not only be horrible for her, but for the baby, as well. She subconsciously rubbed her swollen abdomen as she backed away from the shed door. What if Fiyero didn't come looking for her? Even if he did, would he know where to find her? She didn't tell anyone where she was going because she felt that she didn't have to. She just wanted to go for a quick walk. She bit her lip, knowing there wasn't much she could do except wait for the rain to stop, or wait for Fiyero.

When the prince was finished working with his father, he went into the parlor to find Elphaba, but instead, found his mother sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea.

"Hi, Mom. Have you seen Elphaba?" Fiyero asked.

The Queen turned and frowned slightly. "No, I thought she was with you."

"Maybe she's in the library." He quickly kissed his mother's cheek and hurried away. But she wasn't in the library. Nor in the bedroom. Nor in the kitchen or the nursery. The prince was beginning to run out of places and he was beginning to get worried. Thunder crashed from outside and he jumped, bumping against the wall.

 _No,_ he thought to himself.

He quickly found a maid and asked if Elphaba had gone outside while he was busy. She confessed that she did see the princess grab a light sweater and go out into the gardens. And that's when the prince's nerves worsened.

"Elphaba went outside!" he shouted as he ran back into the parlor.

"What?" Amalie asked as she looked up.

"Elphaba went outside and now it's raining! We have to help her! She could be hurt."

"But Elphaba wouldn't have gone outside if she knew it was going to rain," Amalie said.

"But maybe she didn't know. It wasn't raining when I started working with Dad. Who knows where she is right now?" Tears sprang to the prince's eyes as he pictured his beautiful Fae with burns all over her skin. "I have to go out there!"

"Fiyero, you cannot go outside in the rain!" Amalie chided gently.

"But I have to! Fae could be hurt! She needs me! We can't wait for the rain to stop before we look for her."

Amalie saw the love and worry in her son's eyes for his wife and sighed. "Just… be careful. Take your raincoat and an extra one for Elphaba. Hurry back."

Fiyero smiled as he hugged his mother tightly and grabbed his raincoat. Twirling it around his shoulders, he grabbed an extra one for Elphaba and an umbrella and ran out into the garden. He looked around for a hint of green, knowing that it would be useless to try and call out to her. The rain was coming down harder and he prayed to the Unnamed God that she was somehow safe from the rain.

He looked and looked, but he still couldn't find her. Finally, he found a little shed, praying as he hurrying towards it that Elphaba was there. He opened the door and let out a relieved breath when he saw Elphaba huddled in a corner. He quickly stripped off his soaking wet rain coat and hurried towards her, pulling her into his arms, but pulled away when he heard her hiss in pain.

"Oh, Fae," he whispered as he gently inspected her wounds. He gently ran his fingers over the parts of her skin that wasn't blistered. He gently pulled her closer and rocked her in his arms, regretting not bringing her burn cream with him.

 _'What happened?'_ Fiyero asked when they pulled away.

 _'I wanted to go for a walk, but then it started raining. I'm so sorry, Yero.'_ Elphaba signed.

 _'Why are you apologizing?'_

 _'I worried you.'_

The prince smiled softly. _'Of course I was worried about you, Fae, but you don't have to apologize. We'll wait until the rain clears up a bit, then we'll go back inside and treat those burns.'_

 _'Okay.'_ The green girl leaned against the prince and allowed him to hold her, wincing a few times when he accidentally touched a sore spot. A while later, the rain lightened up to a drizzle and the two decided to go back.

 _'Elphaba, thank Oz you're safe!'_ Amalie signed when she saw the green girl, obviously relieved. She saw the green girl's blisters and gasped softly.

"I'll take her upstairs and put some cream on the burns," Fiyero assured his mother, gently leading Elphaba away and up the stairs to their bedroom.

Elphaba sat still as Fiyero applied the cream onto her wounds. She winced a bit, but tried to calm down, knowing Fiyero was being as gentle as he could.

 _'How much does it hurt?'_ he signed when she winced again.

 _'The burns are superficial, but they still hurt. My face and arms hurt more than my neck.'_ Elphaba confessed.

Fiyero nodded as he carefully continued to apply the cream. _'You'll be fine.'_ he signed as he gently kissed her forehead.

 _'Yero my hero.'_ Elphaba smiled, leaning against him.

Fiyero smiled as he held his wife. He gently pressed his hand against her abdomen and almost started crying when he felt the baby push back. He watched as Elphaba fell asleep in his arms and gently tucked her into bed, trying not to touch her cream-covered burns.


	8. May

Elphaba's burns healed relatively quickly, leaving very faint, hardly noticeable scars, which disappeared soon after. As she continued to get bigger, she took to staying in bed for longer periods of time and took a two-hour nap every afternoon. The baby had begun to settle down and rarely give Elphaba those hard kicks she had grown accustomed to. Amalie assured her that it was normal because the baby is running out of room.

 _'I think I am, too.'_ Elphaba said, rubbing her stomach and the queen laughed.

The princess found herself sitting down more and more. She was always short of breath, even after only walking across a room. Fiyero tried to help as much as he could, which was to get her pillows and massage her feet, but even when he did everything Elphaba wanted him to do, he still felt useless.

It was in the middle of the month when Amalie found Elphaba alone in the library, seemingly only half-reading her book, focused on something else. When she questioned her about it, she was surprised when Elphaba answered the question directly instead of avoiding it like she usually did.

 _'I just… I'm worried.'_

 _'About what, child?'_ Amalie asked as she sat next to her.

 _'About becoming a mother. I don't know anything about being a mother. I barely remember my own mother, and the things I do remember are fuzzy and I sometimes wonder if they really did happen.'_

The queen smiled sympathetically. _'I understand, Elphaba. I was also worried about becoming a mother when I was pregnant with Fiyero. I also didn't have my mother around to help me, but I had Raal's mother. Just like how you have me.'_

Elphaba regarded the queen.

 _'I don't mean to replace your mother, whether you remember her or not. I just want you to know that you can always come to me.'_

 _'Thank you, Amalie.'_ Elphaba smiled when the queen leaned closer to her for a hug. _'But I'm still worried.'_

 _'And it's completely natural to be. All first-time mother-to-be get nervous.'_

Elphaba rung her hands. _'But what if, because I can't hear…'_

Amalie quickly grabbed the green girl's hands to stop her. _'Elphaba, being deaf will not make you any less of a parent. I know for a fact that you will be a wonderful mother.'_

Elphaba looked at the queen before reaching over and grabbing a copy of the newspaper. _'Read this.'_

The queen took the paper and her eyes scanned it over. She realized what Elphaba was talking and worried about. _'Oh, Elphaba. Don't listen to them. They're just speculating. It's just their job.'_

 _'But what if they're right? What if I end up being a bad mother because I can't hear? If the child is crying and calling for me, I won't know. I wouldn't be able to comfort them. I…'_

Amalie quickly collected the worked-up green girl into her arms and stroked her hair. She didn't say anything as she waited for her to calm down. Finally, Elphaba pulled away.

 _'It's not only that. What if I'm not a good queen, either? Being a ruler seems hard enough, but it will be even harder for me. What if I can't do it? What if I do something wrong? What if…'_

 _'Elphaba, stop.'_ The queen quickly took the green girl's hands and placed them in her lap. _'You won't be a bad mother or a bad queen. I have every confidence that you will be wonderful at both jobs.'_

But the green girl wasn't quite finished yet. _'What if the baby is born like me?'_

 _'What do you mean?'_

 _'I mean what if the baby is born green?'_

 _'Then we will love him or her regardless. The baby's skin color doesn't matter. We just want the child to be healthy and happy.'_

It was obvious that the green girl was still worried and apprehensive about the baby, so she helped her to her feet and led her back to her room. _'I'll be back with a cup of milk for you.'_

 _'Thank you.'_ the green girl smiled as she watched the queen leave. She had never had a rememberable mother figure in her life until Amalie and she was eternally grateful for her presence in her life. She tried to stay up until Amalie returned with the milk, but allowed the comfort of her bed to lull her to sleep. When the queen returned, she smiled at the sight of her sleeping daughter-in-law and left the milk on her nightstand. She slowly walked over to her and, leaning over, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Fresh dreams, child," she whispered before leaving.

* * *

 _'Elphaba, I really don't think this is a good idea.'_

 _'I don't care, Yero. We're leaving tomorrow.'_

 _'Fae, please. This isn't a good idea. You can't travel across Oz in your condition.'_

 _'I will not miss Nessa's birthday.'_

 _'It will be too much stress for you and the baby.'_

 _'It will not. I want to see my sister.'_

Fiyero sighed as he tiredly ran his hand through his hair. His wife was being extremely stubborn and it was driving him crazy. _'Fae…'_

 _'Yero, please. I cannot miss Nessa's birthday. We've always been together on her birthday.'_

The prince saw the look on his wife's face and suddenly understood that there was more to it than just Nessa's birthday. It was also the anniversary of her mother's death. _'You really want to go to Munchkinland?'_

 _'Yes. Plus, it's only for the weekend. We'll come back on Monday.'_

Elphaba knew that Fiyero had trouble denying her most of the things she wanted, and she smiled when it worked. Fiyero caved and gave her a kiss. _'Fine. We'll go.'_

 _'Thank you, Yero.'_

"Are you sure you want to go, you two?" Raal asked the next morning as Fiyero and Elphaba prepared to leave.

"We'll be fine, Dad. This is something Elphaba really wants to do," Fiyero reassured his parents.

"O-Okay. Just… be very careful. And make sure Elphaba takes it easy," Amalie said in a motherly tone.

"I'll make sure she doesn't go off flying on a broomstick."

"I'm serious, Fiyero."

"I am, too," he said as he kissed his mother's cheek. "We'll be careful."

Amalie still looked worried, but hugged her son back and said goodbye to Elphaba. _'Be careful, Elphaba.'_

 _'We will.'_ the green girl promised, hugging her parents-in-law.

The king and queen watched as the couple climbed into the carriage. The door closed and the carriage sped off into the distance.

A few minutes into the ride, Fiyero noticed that Elphaba started to look uncomfortable. He gave her an 'I told you so' look, which she matched with a very hard glare. The prince took the pillows from behind his back and placed them behind Elphaba, trying to make her more comfortable. She gave him a small smile as he fluffed the pillows and let her lean her head against his shoulder.

After three and a half hours, they reached the Emerald City. Fiyero asked the driver to stop for a while to rest the horses and so Elphaba could stretch her legs.

"Is everything alright, Your Highness?" the driver asked when Fiyero stepped out and helped Elphaba down.

"Everything's fine. We just needed a little break from traveling," Fiyero said.

While they rested, Elphaba and Fiyero snacked on the chocolate croissants the cook had packed for them. Pretty soon, they were back on the road again.

 _'It was nice to see the Emerald City again, even if it was just a pit stop.'_ Elphaba smiled as they pulled off.

The prince smiled. _'It was. It brought back memories.'_

 _'Like the fish?'_

 _'Yeah.'_ Fiyero grinned sheepishly. _'Like the fish.'_

Elphaba chuckled softly, but stopped when she felt a tightening feeling in her abdomen. She stiffened and shifted her weight, gasping as she did so.

 _'Fae, what's wrong? Should we stop again?'_ Fiyero asked, taking her hands.

Elphaba shook her head and gently pulled her hands away. _'No. I'm fine. It was just a Braxton Hicks contraction?'_

The prince looked alarmed _. 'A contraction? Now?'_

 _'It's nothing to worry about, Yero. I'm nowhere near being in labor. It's like a practice contraction. It's just a way of preparing for the real thing.'_ The prince still looked alarmed _. 'It's nothing to worry about, Yero. I'm fine.'_

 _'Maybe we should turn around and go back.'_

 _'No! We can't! Yero, we're halfway there. I'm fine.'_ Elphaba practically pleaded. _'Please.'_

Fiyero hesitated. _'Fine.'_ he finally signed.

Elphaba smiled and kissed him before falling asleep. When she woke, Colwen Grounds was beginning to come into view. She pushed herself up and stretched her arms, looking out the window as the carriage slowed to a halt. _'Nessa will be so surprised.'_ she signed, smiling at Fiyero.

 _'_ That _she will be.'_ he smiled, pulling her into a kiss as the carriage door opened. He got out, then slowly helped her down as the driver got their luggage.

Elphaba smiled softly as she looked at her old home. She could remember sitting out on the patio, reading a book as a light breeze swept past her. She remembered coming out with Nessa and helping her out of her chair so she could swing on their old swing. She was pulled from her silent musings when Fiyero slipped his hand into hers and they made their way to the house. Fiyero noticed that even though it was a very short walk, it still made Elphaba tired. He gripped her hand tighter, which Elphaba responded to with a light squeeze.

When they got to the door, the prince knocked and waited for it to open. One of the maids answered and was obviously surprised to see the green girl, and was even more surprised when she saw the condition she was in. She quickly showed them into the parlor, then went to inform the Governor and Nessa.

Fiyero moved to help Elphaba sit on the couch, but she declined, saying that she would probably never be able to get back up if she sat down. She moved to the armchair and slowly lowered herself into it. She heaved a sigh, but smiled as Fiyero knelt next to her.

 _'I'm okay.'_ she signed, trying to take deep breaths.

Before Fiyero had a chance to respond, Frex and Nessa came into the room. They both looked shocked to see the couple, but Nessa quickly broke into a smile as she quickly wheeled over to her sister. _'Fabala! You came!'_ she brunette smiled.

 _'Of course I did. You didn't think I would miss your birthday, did you?'_ Elphaba managed a weak smile as she wrapped her sister in a hug.

Nessa looked at her sister's large stomach and smiled. _'I was expecting you to just send a gift, but this is a much better surprise. How are you feeling?'_

 _'A bit tired from the trip, but I'll be fine.'_

 _'How long are you staying?'_

 _'Just for the weekend. We'll go back on Monday.'_

Nessa smiled as she wrapped her arms around her sister again. _'Thank you for coming.'_

Frex stood, forgotten, in the doorway, watching the reunion scene. True, he was surprised to see his eldest daughter. He honestly didn't think she would come, knowing that she would be eight months pregnant and the trip might be too much for her. But he knew how close his daughters were and knew that Elphaba wouldn't miss Nessa's birthday if she could help it.

"Oh, Father! Show Fabala your surprise for her!" Nessa giggled, looking at Frex.

The Governor smiled softly. "I'm sure your sister would like to rest now, Nessie. She just had a very long trip."

The wheelchair-bound girl pouted, but understood. _'The guest room is ready for you and Fiyero. We figured you would want to climb those stairs to use your old room.'_

The green girl smiled at her sister's thoughtfulness _. 'You planned for our arrival?'_

 _'I was hopeful.'_

 _'Thank you, Nessa. The guest room will be fine.'_ Elphaba got up from the chair with Fiyero's help and went over to greet her father. _'Hello, Father.'_

 _'Hello, Elphaba.'_ Frex smiled, giving his daughter a hug.

Elphaba noticed how relaxed her father now seemed around her. He must have really been looking forward to becoming a grandfather. _'Nessa said you had something you were working on for me?'_

 _'Why don't you rest first? You just traveled across Oz. I'll send for you when dinner's ready.'_

Elphaba knew what her father was thinking and nodded. She and Fiyero walked to the guest room and the prince helped his wife into bed. Elphaba smiled as she snuggled under the covers, which were much more comfortable than the carriage. When she woke up a few hours later, Fiyero was sitting against the headboard, skimming through a book. When he noticed that she was awake, he put the book away. _'Your father came in a few minutes ago and said that dinner was almost ready.'_

 _'Okay.'_ Elphaba said as she rolled over and tried to push herself up, aided by her husband.

 _'You should have seen the look on his face when he saw us in the same bed together. It was like he forgot we were married.'_

Elphaba cracked a smile. _'He's still my father, Yero.'_

After dinner, Nessa didn't seem able to contain her excitement any longer, so Frex decided to show Elphaba and Fiyero what the surprise was. He told her that it was upstairs and that if she wasn't up for it, they could always wait. Elphaba could see her sister practically jumping in her chair, so she agreed to see it. Both her father and her husband helped her up the stairs.

 _'Are you ready?'_ Frex asked when they stopped in front of a closed door.

Elphaba nodded. _'What is it?'_

Frex opened the door and led Elphaba inside. The green girl gasped. The room had been turned into a nursery. A few of her old things her father didn't send to the Vinkus were there, as well as some of Nessa's things. She looked around the fully furnished room and smiled softly. _'You made a room for the baby?'_

Frex nodded. _'If you ever come back to visit, the child will have a room of their own here.'_

Elphaba didn't even bother to contain her joy. She happily wrapped her arms around her father and buried her face in his shoulder. Part of the governor thought this reaction was partly due to pregnancy hormones, but he didn't fully care as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. Fiyero watched the scene with pride, smiling as he watched his wife hug her father.

 _'I love it.'_ Elphaba signed when she pulled away, looking around the room again. _'Thank you, Father.'_

 _'You're welcome. I'm glad you like it.'_ Frex signed.

Elphaba moved to take a step forward, but stopped, her hand clutching her abdomen. Frex and Fiyero quickly moved to her side and gripped her arms. After a few moments, Elphaba released a sigh. _'I'm okay. It was just a kick.'_

The governor helped his daughter over to the rocking chair and helped her sit down. He took her hand as she closed her eyes, rocking back and forth in the chair. Fiyero stood next to her, his eyes swelled with worry.

 _'Father?'_ she asked when she opened her eyes.

 _'Yes?'_

 _'What was it like when Mother was pregnant with me?'_

Frex seemed surprised by the question, and hesitated a bit. _'It… you didn't give her a lot of trouble. You moved a lot and kept her up at night, but she was much too excited to be really mad.'_

Elphaba nodded. _'Thank you.'_

 _'Do you need anything else?'_

 _'I'm fine.'_ Elphaba pushed herself up, smiling softly when her father and husband helped her. _'I'll go downstairs to Nessa.'_

Frex helped his daughter down the stairs and into the parlor, while Fiyero walked behind them, where Nessa was waiting for them.

* * *

The younger Thropp's birthday was just like her previous birthdays. Everyone gathered in the dining room for breakfast and wished Nessa a happy birthday. Elphaba and Frex looked a bit tired and sad, but still put on smiles for her. Fiyero enjoyed spending his sister-in-law's birthday with her, but continued to keep a watchful eye on his wife.

After Nessa opened her presents, she decided that she would take a short nap before lunch. Elphaba offered to help her and the two sisters went away.

 _'Are you having a nice birthday so far?'_ Elphaba asked as she tucked her sister in.

 _'I am. Thank you, Fabala.'_ Nessa smiled. Elphaba kissed her sister's forehead and turned to leave, but she grabbed her hand. _'Are you alright?'_

 _'Of course. Why do you ask?'_ Elphaba asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

 _'You seem sad. Both you and Father.'_

Elphaba did her best to smile. _'I'm fine. And I'm sure Father is, too.'_

 _'Is this about Mother?'_

Elphaba regarded her sister. She had tried so hard to make this day about her and not show any other emotion other than happiness. _'I hardly remember her.'_

 _'But you remember something about her, right?'_

 _'Bits and pieces of memories, yes. But Nessa, this is your special day. What happened to Mother was very tragic, but it's still your birthday. She would want you to be happy on your special day.'_

 _'But you don't deserve to be upset and try to mask it in front of me.'_

 _'I'll be fine, Nessa. Please believe me. Don't worry about it and try to get some sleep.'_

Nessa didn't look happy, but nodded as she watched her sister leave. Elphaba walked down the hall back to the parlor, where Fiyero was snacking on some cookies.

 _'Where's my father?'_ Elphaba asked when he looked up.

 _'He's in his study. Do you want to talk to him?'_

Elphaba shook her head. _'No. Will you come with me?'_

The prince blinked, surprised, but abandoned the cookies and walked with his wife out into the garden. _'Where are we going?'_

 _'There's someone I want to visit.'_

Fiyero understood and gently pulled his wife closer to him. They walked through the gardens before they stopped in front of a single gravestone. _'Would you like me to stay with you?'_

 _'Actually, I would like to do this alone.'_

Fiyero kissed her cheek _. 'Okay. I'll be sitting on the bench over there if you need me.'_

Elphaba nodded and asked Fiyero to help her down. Normally, the prince would have questioned her, but simply said nothing as he did as she requested. He squeezed her hand before going off to the bench and sat down.

Elphaba sighed as she looked at her mother's grave. _'Hi, Mama. It's been a while since I've been here. I'm sorry, but so much has happened. First, we made sure Nessa had a nice birthday today, even though she knew Father and I were upset. She understands and appreciates our efforts to make her day special, but she wishes we didn't have to. And honestly, I wish the same thing.'_ She felt the baby kick and smiled softly at her stomach. _'And I'm pregnant. You're going to be a grandmother next month. I know you're very excited, wherever you are. I'm very nervous about becoming a mother, especially since you're not here, but I have Amalie. Fiyero's family has been wonderful with helping me. You would love them, especially Fiyero. He's one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I love him, and he loves me. He helped me through Shiz. He tries to make sure I feel included in what he does and is always thinking about me.'_ She traced her fingers over her mother's name as a light breeze swept past her. _'Father made a special room for the baby for when we visit. I hope to visit a lot once the baby's born. I know Father will make sure your grandchild knows about you, and I'll fill in what I can. I love you, Mama. I miss you and I wish you were here right now.'_ She looked over at Fiyero, who immediately came over and helped her up. _'Goodbye, Mama.'_

Fiyero smiled at the grave and nodded solemnly before turning to Elphaba. _'Are you ready?'_

Elphaba looked at her mother's grave one more time. _'I'm ready.'_

 _'Did you say everything you wanted to say?'_

 _'I did.'_

Fiyero nodded and hugged his wife closer as he escorted her back into the house. The wind seemed to whistle softly as they walked, and he was positive that it was Melena, saying "So long" to her daughter.


	9. June

**Indy's Green Hat: Of course not!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: LOL! No, I wouldn't do that.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to my very good friend, Moreanswers24. Happy belated birthday!**

* * *

Fiyero hurried though the halls of the castle, trying not to spill the glass of lemonade in his hands. He stopped in front of the closed bedroom door and inhaled a few gulps of air before pushing it open. Elphaba was laying on her side, her back facing the door. The prince smiled softly before hurrying to her side and helping her sit up. _'Are you hot?'_

Elphaba nodded and accepted the lemonade from her husband. It was the middle of day, when the sun was at it highest, and hottest, point. It did nothing to help with the princess' discomfort, and she was already tired and cranky enough as it was.

 _'Would you like more lemonade?'_ he asked when she finished the glass.

The green girl shook her head and moved to lay back down. Fiyero moved to leave, but Elphaba's soft moan called him back. _'Stay?'_ she signed weakly.

 _'Of course.'_ He climbed into bed with his wife and stroked the back of her hand.

 _'I feel miserable.'_ Elphaba frowned, burying her face in her husband's chest.

 _'I know, Fae.'_ Fiyero signed, kissing the back of her hand. _'But this will all be over soon.'_

 _'I know.'_ She gasped sharply, clutching her stomach.

Fiyero, knowing it was a kick, simply squeezed her hand and waited until she relaxed. He tried not to be as overprotective as he normally was over Elphaba, knowing that she would want her space, especially now, and he really was trying. Elphaba knew this and tried to be appreciative and understanding, especially when she saw the worry in her husband's eyes, but he never said anything.

The couple stayed in each other's arms for a while, until Elphaba gently squirmed away. _'Bathroom.'_ she smiled softly when she saw her husband's confused look.

Fiyero helped Elphaba up and watched as she slowly waddled away. When she didn't return, he got worried and went to look for her. He released a relieved breath when he saw her in the nursery, sitting in the rocking chair.

Elphaba opened her eyes and saw Fiyero standing in the doorway. She moved to push herself up, and Fiyero was at her side in a flash to help her.

 _'Are you hungry?'_

 _'A little bit.'_

After a brief argument, Fiyero relented to let Elphaba walk down the stairs to the dining room. It took them a whole ten minutes to walk down the stairs, since Elphaba could only go but so fast in her current state, and she had a Braxton Hicks contraction on the way down. Fiyero did his best to remain calm and supportive, which proved to be easier said than done. Once they finally reached the bottom of the steps, the couple made their way to the kitchen to get the green girl a small snack.

 _'How are you feeling?'_ Fiyero asked as Elphaba munched on apple slices and sipped a glass of milk.

 _'Like I'm about to explode.'_

Fiyero smiled sympathetically. _'I'm sorry, sweetheart.'_

 _'It's okay. It's not your fault. Well… maybe it is a little.'_ Elphaba signed with a light smile. _'But I am really excited. We're going to be parents soon.'_

 _'We are. And you'll be a wonderful mother.'_ He leaned over and kissed his wife. _'I just know it.'_

 _'And you'll be a wonderful father.'_ Elphaba smiled as she finished and moved to get up. _'I think I'll go back to bed. I'm feeling tired.'_

 _'Why don't you take a nap in the parlor? It's cooler in there and you won't have to climb all those steps.'_

Elphaba considered the alternative option and nodded. _'Okay.'_

Once Fiyero was sure that Elphaba had everything she wanted, extra pillows for her backache, another glass of lemonade, and a foot rub, he waited until she feel asleep before moving. He went to the other side of the room and settled into a chair by the window. He absently grabbed a book about caring for a newborn and studied it, occasionally looking up at Elphaba to make sure she was alright.

* * *

Three days past and Elphaba still showed no signs of going into labor. It was beginning to drive her crazy. The staff began to avoid her or be very cautious when around her. She was beginning to have magic outbursts when she was aggravated, and pretty much anything and everything aggravated her. Even though everyone understood, it was never a pleasant experience for them if they were on the receiving end of Elphaba's wrath. Fiyero found himself on the receiving end of her wrath more than once, which usually involved him being blasted into the opposite wall.

Late one morning, Elphaba sat in the parlor with Amalie, writing a birthday letter to Galinda. Her feet were up on a footstool and multiple pillows were placed behind her back. Amalie sat across from her, finishing her needlepointing.

 _'Are you finished with your letter, Elphaba?'_ Amalie asked when she saw Elphaba put her letter down.

 _'Yes. I'm finished.'_ Elphaba signed as she yawned.

The queen smiled. _'Would you like to lay down?'_

Elphaba shook her head. _'Could I walk around for a bit? I'm tired of constantly sitting down.'_

 _'Of course.'_ Amalie rose to her feet and helped the green girl up. _'Would you like for me to come with you?'_

 _'I think I should be fine by-'_ Elphaba stopped short, a look of shock crossing her face. She gripped the queen's arm as a look of pain crossed her face.

 _'Elphaba?'_ Amalie asked, helping the green girl sit down. _'What's wrong?'_

 _'I… I don't know. I think… I think my water just broke.'_

Amalie tenderly stroked the green girl's hand in an attempt to calm her. _'Are you hurt?'_

 _'I can feel it burning my legs.'_

 _'I'll get the burn cream. Just stay right here.'_ The queen placed a gentle kiss in the green girl's hair and helped her sit back down before hurrying away. She went into the bathroom, grabbed the burn cream and hurried back to Elphaba, but not without running into Fiyero, who saw the burn cream in his mother's arms.

"Is Elphaba alright? What happened? Is she burnt badly?" came the rush of questions from the prince.

"Yes, Fiyero. Elphaba is fine. Her water broke and it burnt her legs."

Fiyero blinked. Elphaba was in labor. She was going to have the baby. They were going to be parents before the week was over. "Fae's in labor?"

Amalie nodded. "She is. Now, Fiyero, I know you're very nervous. Elphaba is too, and I need you to be as calm as possible for her."

"I'll try, Mom," Fiyero said solemnly, kissing his mother's cheek. "Where is she?"

"She's sitting in the parlor. I have to hurry back to her and see how badly she's burnt."

Fiyero followed his mother back to the parlor, where Elphaba was still sitting in the chair, rubbing her stomach. He watched as his mother checked her wounds and applied the cream.

 _'It doesn't look that bad.'_ Amalie signed as she closed the cream _. 'Does it still hurt?'_

 _'A little, but the cream is helping.'_ Elphaba said, looking from Amalie to Fiyero. She reached out her hand to her husband, and he practically tripped over his own feet as he rushed to her side.

 _'Are you alright?'_ he asked as he knelt beside her.

 _'I am. A bit nervous and still in a bit of pain because of the burns, but I'm fine. We're going to be parents soon, Yero.'_

He smiled and kissed her forehead. _'Yes, we are, Fae.'_

Elphaba smiled, then tightened her grip on Fiyero's hand when she felt her first contraction. Fiyero proved to be very helpful and calm as he let his wife squeeze his hand.

 _'Better?'_

 _'Better.'_

Amalie went to inform Raal that Elphaba was in labor and pretty soon, a statement was released to the Vinkun people that the new heir was on the way. The towns were filled with festivities and speculations about the baby's gender and name resurfaced. The newspapers began to set up camp outside the castle, even though they were told that Elphaba was still in the very early stages of labor.

Over the course of the day, Elphaba's contractions were irregular and not very strong. She stayed by Fiyero's side, but it wasn't like the prince was actually going to leave her alone. The midwife was called soon after the announcement was sent out to the people and she arrived rather quickly.

"Everything looks very good, Your Highness," she said and Amalie translated. "You're around four centimeters dilated and everything seems to be progressing very well."

 _'How much longer?'_ Elphaba asked after another contraction ended.

"How much longer?" Amalie asked.

"I would say a few hours. You might even give birth before the end of the day today. Though, every woman is different."

Amalie nodded. "It is alright for Elphaba to walk around?"

The midwife paused. "I suppose so. But just for a little bit. Nothing too much. But when the contractions start to get stronger and closer together, she must lay down. I would recommend staying on this floor, just because the stairs might be too much for her."

Amalie smiled and asked Elphaba if she wanted to walk around for a bit. Elphaba agreed and after a trip to the bathroom, rejoined Amalie and Fiyero. They walked up and down the halls, pausing every-so-often so Elphaba could sit down during a contraction.

When it was lunchtime, Elphaba barely ate anything. Fiyero was worried, but Amalie said that it was normal for Elphaba not to be that hungry.

"I barely ate anything when I was in labor with you," she pointed out to her son. "I almost fasted for a whole day."

"I'm still worried about her. She'll be in a lot of pain when she's giving birth, and she might not be able to tell us what she needs when the time comes and…"

"Fiyero, don't worry. Elphaba will be fine. Giving birth is natural to a woman. Yes, it is very painful, but a woman's body is made for this. Many women have gone through this before and will continue to go through it after. Everything will be fine." Amalie pulled her son against her and kissed his forehead. "The midwife and I will make sure she's taken care of."

Fiyero nodded, silently cursing the tradition that he couldn't be with Elphaba while she was giving birth. Part of him really didn't want to see her in that much pain, but the better part of him wanted to be there to support her. He needed to be with her. He wanted to be able to comfort her, to let her squeeze his hand, and to be a pillar of comfort for her.

When it was dinnertime, Elphaba didn't eat at all. She spent her time in her room, resting and waking up every time she had a contraction. Fiyero had offered to bring her dinner up to her, but Elphaba said that she wasn't hungry. When he returned upstairs from dinner, he found Elphaba in the nursery, rocking in the rocking chair, rubbing her stomach. He walked over to her and knelt down beside her, taking her hand.

 _'Hi.'_ Elphaba smiled when she saw her husband.

 _'Hey. Are you sure you're not hungry?'_

 _'I'm sure. The baby is pushing up against my stomach, anyway. I don't think I would be able to eat anything, even if I was hungry.'_ She squeezed Fiyero's hand when she felt another contraction. Once it was over, Fiyero helped her up and led her back to the bedroom. After they both changed for bed, the couple curled against each other. Fiyero watched as Elphaba drifted off to sleep and grabbed the book on his nightstand.

During the night, the couple kept waking up from Elphaba's contractions. Fiyero tried not to be aggravated from the lack of sleep, since he knew that it was going to become a part of their lives for the next few months. He simply held Elphaba's hand and tried to comfort her. When the contractions began to get stronger, Elphaba told Fiyero to send for the midwife. While he was gone, Amalie and Raal came into the room to find Elphaba sitting up in the bed, looking very uncomfortable.

 _'You'll be alright.'_ Amalie signed as she sat on the edge of the bed next to the green girl.

 _'I'm scared.'_ Elphaba admitted to the queen, and was hit with a very strong contraction. She cried out and leaned against her, barely registering the gentle feeling of her stroking her arm.

 _'Don't be scared, Elphaba.'_ Amalie signed gently when the contraction subsided and Elphaba looked up at her. _'Many woman have gone through this before you. The midwife and I will be here the entire time. And I'm sure Fiyero will be waiting right outside the door for you.'_ She pushed the green girl's raven hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.

The contractions continued throughout the night and shortly after two o'clock in the morning, it was near time for Elphaba to push.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid it's time for you to leave now," the midwife said to the prince as she prepared to work.

"I can't leave Fae," Fiyero said, holding his wife's hand.

"Your Highness, I mean no disrespect, but delivering babies is women's work. Men are not allowed to stay when –"

"Please," Fiyero practically begged. "I think we can make one exception, considering the circumstances."

The midwife looked torn and looked to the queen. "Your Majesty?"

"Are you sure you want to?" Amalie asked her son.

The prince looked at his wife, who was taking a quick nap to get as much strength as possible. "I am. I can't leave her."

Amalie nodded and turned back to the midwife. "He can stay."

The midwife nodded and continued to get her supplies ready.

"Where's Dad?" Fiyero asked.

"He's still sleeping. I told him that I would get him when the baby is born. He's had a very busy week with all of his meetings, I didn't want to wake him," Amalie said as Elphaba woke up to another contraction.

 _'Breathe, Fae.'_ Fiyero signed when he managed to grab Elphaba's attention.

 _'Yero… I… I thought you had to…'_ Elphaba tried to sign through the pain, but couldn't finish her sentence.

 _'I can stay. I'm going to stay by your side the whole time.'_

"Alright, Your Highness. You're fully dilated and it'll be time to push on your next contraction," the midwife said.

Amalie translated and moved to stand on Elphaba's other side. Elphaba leaned back against the pillows, her face a mixture of fear and pain. On the next contraction, she pushed with all her strength.

Fiyero soon found that he couldn't sign to Elphaba when she was squeezing his hand, so he simply settled for reassuring squeezes and wiping the sweat from her forehead before it could burn her.

"She's crowning!" the midwife shouted over Elphaba's screams from the foot of the bed.

 _'I can't do this.'_ Elphaba signed weakly as she collapsed against the pillows.

 _'Yes, you can, Elphaba.'_ Amalie signed, stroking her cheek.

 _'It hurts too much.'_

 _'Don't give up now, Fae. She can see the baby's head.'_ Fiyero signed, rubbing circles on her shoulder. _'This will all be over soon. I promise.'_

Elphaba felt another contraction and used it to help her push the baby out. Several screams, grunts, cries, pushes, and soothing kisses later, the cry of the baby filled the room and Elphaba collapsed against the pillows, exhausted.

"It's a girl!" the midwife cried triumphantly as she cleaned the baby off.

Fiyero smiled as Elphaba took several deep breaths. He quickly leaned over and kissed her, tears of joy spilling from his eyes. _'We have a little girl, Fae.'_

Elphaba gave her husband a tired, yet genuine smile and melted when he kissed her again.

"Alright, you. Say hi to Mommy and Daddy," the midwife said as she gently placed the newborn against Elphaba chest.

Elphaba smiled as she watched her daughter get used to her new environment. She gently ran her fingers over her soft features, completely memorized by her. She could already tell that she would have her hair, lips, and cheeks, but she did mostly look like Fiyero.

 _'She's beautiful.'_ Fiyero signed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to his wife, his eyes never leaving his daughter.

The midwife gently took the baby back and Amalie explained to Elphaba that she had to finish checking her over and then she had to clean Elphaba up. The prince was promptly shooed out of the room, but returned as soon as she was finished and found their daughter swaddled in a pink blanket and Elphaba propped up against multiple pillows.

 _'What should we name her?'_ Fiyero asked.

Elphaba realized that she couldn't sign to her husband while holding their daughter, so she nodded in the direction of the notebook on her nightstand. Fiyero got her message and quickly retrieved it, opening it to the page where they wrote a bunch of possible baby names.

 _'Isliah.'_ Elphaba signed, gently rocking the baby in her arms and looking up at her husband.

"Isliah," Fiyero tried, smiling. _'I like it. It suits her.'_

Elphaba smiled and looked down at Isliah as she slowly opened her eyes. The proud parents smiled down at their newborn daughter as she yawned.

"Hi, little Isliah," Fiyero smiled, gently placing his finger in her palm and smiling as she grasped on. "Welcome to the world."

Elphaba watched as Isliah looked up at her father then back at her before crying again.

"Time for our first feeding," the midwife said and she and Amalie explained to Elphaba how to breastfeed. Once Isliah was nursing peacefully, the queen went to go get her husband. The proud grandparents stood in the doorway as they watched the proud parents get to know the newest addition to the family.

 _'She's beautiful, Elphaba.'_ Raal smiled, stepping into the room.

 _'Thank you. Would you like to hold her?'_ Elphaba asked, watching Fiyero coo at the baby.

Raal and Amalie both got to hold their granddaughter, teasing each other about who would spoil her more. Once she was returned to her mother's arms, the monarchs excused themselves, both of them being very tired, leaving Fiyero and Elphaba alone.

 _'I love you, Fae. You did very well and I'm so proud of you.'_ Fiyero smiled, placing Isliah in the bassinet next to the bed and climbing in next to Elphaba.

 _'I love you, too, Yero.'_ Elphaba smiled, pulling herself closer to the prince.

 _'We're going to be great parents. And you will be a very exceptional mother.'_

Elphaba blushed. _'I'll have your mother to help me.'_

 _'We'll all help you, Fae. We're all in this together.'_

Elphaba smiled as she looked over at Isliah as she slept. A motherly feeling washed over her and she was sure that everything would be okay.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be the final chapter. Don't forget to review!**


	10. Epilogue

**Here we are, everyone! The final chapter! *'It's the Final Countdown plays in background***

* * *

To say that the first month of parenting was hard was an understatement. To Elphaba, Isliah seemed to do nothing except cry and it was beginning to take a toll on her. She felt she was at her breaking point, and the only thing that was keeping her sane was Amalie.

 _'It's completely normal for newborns to be like this, Elphaba.'_ the queen tried to reassure a crying Elphaba when Isliah refused to go to sleep. _'You're doing nothing wrong.'_

Elphaba slowly shook her head and Amalie gently pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "You're doing nothing wrong," she whispered into her hair.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Isliah finally tired herself out and fell asleep. Amalie quickly took her granddaughter and placed her in her crib before turning her attention back to Elphaba. She gently wiped her tears away and gently kissed her burns.

 _'I don't know if I can do this, Amalie.'_ Elphaba signed as Amalie guided her to the rocking chair.

 _'The first few months are always the hardest. Trust me. But it gets better. And all of this will have its rewards in the future. I promise.'_

Once the first month past and Elphaba began to get the hang of the daily routine of being a mother, things became easier for her. Isliah still woke up during the night, wanting to be fed or changed, but was beginning to sleep longer hours, which was very beneficial to both parents. Elphaba seemed a bit calmer and more at ease. Fiyero continued to help by telling her when Isliah was crying and waking her up for the nightly feedings and changes. He always tried not to look as sleep deprived as he was, and seeing Elphaba interact with Isliah helped him to continue to do the right thing as a father.

At the beginning of August, Elphaba was seated on the balcony, rocking Isliah in her arms. Elphaba smiled as she looked down at her daughter. Isliah smiled back and reached up towards her mother. The green girl nuzzled her nose against her daughter's. She felt Fiyero gently place his arms on her shoulders and smiled as he kissed her cheek.

"And how are my two favorite princesses?" he chuckled, signing and making a face at Isliah, getting a coo and a smile in return.

 _'Fine. Has everyone arrived yet?'_ Elphaba smiled.

 _'Cally, Windon, and the twins have arrived and are in the parlor. Your father and Nessa should be arriving soon, and Galinda will probably come a bit later.'_

Elphaba nodded and stood up. _'I'll go downstairs and say hi to them.'_

Fiyero followed his wife the stairs and smiled when he cousins and nieces came into view. "Hello, everyone!"

"Uncle Yewo!" the girls giggled, running over to the prince and hugging him. "Where's the baby? We wanna see the baby!"

"The baby is with Auntie Elphaba. Look," Fiyero smiled as he gently led the girls over to his wife, who was greeting Cally and Windon, who were admiring the baby.

The girls hurried over to their aunt and gently tugged on the skirt of her dress, grabbing her attention. Elphaba smiled at them and knelt down so they could see their new little cousin.

"Baby!" Dahlia smiled, signing for her aunt.

"What's her name?" Maven asked and signed.

Elphaba smiled at the little girls' progress and slowly spelt _'I-S-L-I-A-H.'_.

"Isliah!" both girls said at the same time.

"Very good. You girls are learning sign language wonderfully," Fiyero smiled as he ruffled the girl's hair.

The twins smiled proudly.

Frex and Nessa arrived soon afterwards. They were directed to the parlor, where Elphaba and Fiyero watched as Maven and Dahlia took turns holding Isliah, under the watchful eyes of their parents. Elphaba noticed her family first and quickly rose to greet them. _'Hi, Nessie.'_

 _'Hi, Fabala. How are you?'_ Nessa asked, smiling as she hugged her older sister.

 _'I'm fine. A bit tired, but fine. How are you?'_

 _'Excited to finally be an aunt.'_

Elphaba chuckled and asked Maven if she could have Isliah back. The little girl looked confused, but reluctantly handed over the baby when her mother whispered what Elphaba was saying into her ear. She walked over to Nessa and gently placed the wide-awake baby in her arms.

"Hi, Isliah," the brunette smiled, rocking the baby in her arms. The baby looked up at her aunt and smiled at her, and Nessa smiled back.

 _'She's beautiful, Elphaba.'_ Frex smiled, looking at his granddaughter.

 _'Thank you, Father.'_ Elphaba smiled.

Frex nodded. _'Your mother would be very happy, too.'_

The green girl gently wrapped her arms around her father, and he quickly returned the hug. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, and when she returned, she saw that Galinda had arrived and had already dressed Isliah in a very pink dress, pink shoes, and a pink headband.

 _'Dear Oz above.'_ Elphaba signed, looking at her now-very-pink daughter.

Galinda took notice of her best friend and gently handed Isliah over to Fiyero so she could greet her. _'How have you been, Elphie?'_ she signed when she pulled away from the hug.

 _'I've been fine. It's getting better.'_ Elphaba signed, smiling as she watched the adults make funny faces at Isliah. _'I see you got her some new clothes already.'_

 _'Well, I had to do something with all the pink things I bought. And there's plenty more where that came from.'_

 _'I'm sure there is.'_ Elphaba sighed, though she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She saw Isliah getting fussy in Windon's arms and hurried over to them.

 _'I think she's getting a bit tired.'_ Windon signed after he gave Isliah over to her mother. _'She had a very eventful day so far.'_

Elphaba nodded and gently rocked the baby in her arms. Isliah quickly calmed down and looked up at her. Before Elphaba could blink, the baby squirmed and yawned, obviously wanting to be put down for her nap. Elphaba excused herself and walked up to the nursery. As she laid a sleeping Isliah in her crib, a sudden feeling of calmness washed over her and for some reason, she knew everything would be all right.

* * *

 _FIVE YEARS LATER…_

Five-year-old Isliah bounced through the hallways of the castle, wearing nothing but her nightgown. Her giggles echoed off the walls as she skipped around a corner, but her laughs came to an abrupt halt when she felt someone's strong arms wrap around her.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she giggled as her father lifted her into the air.

"Hi, princess!" the prince smiled, kissing her forehead. "What are you doing?"

"Nothin'."

The prince narrowed his eyes slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be getting dressed now?"

"I don't wanna get dressed now. I wanna stay in my nightgown," Isliah pouted.

"You can't stay in your nightgown all day, sweetie. And what have I told you about running away from Mama?"

"Not to," Isliah admitted softly.

"That's right." The prince carried his daughter back to her room, where Elphaba was waiting in the hallway, looking very tired and a bit sad. "Now, go and apologize for running away to Mama. And make sure you sign to her." He put her down and watched as she took a few steps forward and looked back up at him. "Go on, Liah-bear," he encouraged.

Isliah hurried over to her mother and gently tugged on her skirt, grabbing her attention. Elphaba looked down and saw her daughter looking up at her with remorseful eyes.

 _'I'm sorry, Mama.'_ the little girl signed.

Elphaba smiled softly as she knelt down to her daughter's height. _'It's okay.'_ She pulled her into a hug and, kissing her cheek, lifted her into her arms and carried her into the bathroom to get her ready for the day.

An hour later, Isliah bounced into the parlor, fully dressed. She heard the birds chirping outside the window and ran over to it, climbing onto a chair to see better. She giggled as she saw the birds flying around and eventually land on a branch near the window. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see her mother standing behind her.

"Birds!" she smiled, pointing to the birds.

Elphaba followed her daughter's gaze and smiled at the birds. She gently tapped her shoulder and signed the word for "bird".

"Birds!" Isliah giggled, copying her mother.

 _'Yes, birds.'_ Elphaba smiled, tickling his daughter.

Isliah giggled, but managed to get away from her mother. She ran to her toy chest and pulled out a large box and brought it back to her mother. Elphaba, knowing exactly what was in the box, smiled as she sat down on the floor. Isliah sat next to her mother and opened the box, taking out a handful of flashcards.

When Isliah was still a baby, Fiyero came up with a way to make it fun for her to learn sign language. He used his talent in art to create a very large amount of flask cards and created a game for them to play. Either Elphaba or Fiyero would hold up a card with a picture on it and Isliah would have to sign the word. If she got them all right, Fiyero would bring her a present when he returned from his crown prince duties. Even before she was old enough to understand the game, Fiyero and Elphaba had been teaching her. When Fiyero spoke to her, he would also sign, and he encouraged her to do the same. Most of the time, her sign wouldn't match what she wanted to say, but it only encouraged them to try harder. Everyone was overjoyed when, at eleven months old, she said her first word, "Dada". But nothing could beat the joyous look on Elphaba's face when, a few weeks after that, Isliah signed her first word.

She had just finished changing Isliah's diaper when she noticed it. Isliah was looking right at her, signing the word for "Mama". Her face broke into a smile when she realized what she was doing and giggled. "Mama! Mama!" she smiled, signing and reaching up towards her mother.

Elphaba had quickly wiped away her tears and hugged her daughter close, nodding and kissing her forehead before hurrying away to show the rest of the family.

 _'House!'_ Isliah signed when her mother showed her a picture of a house.

Elphaba nodded and placed the card aside before holding up another one.

 _'Ball!'_

Another nod.

 _'Flower. Bed. Dog. Brush. Clock.'_

 _'Very good.'_ Elphaba smiled once they went through the cards and she put them away. _'Your father may have to make more cards soon. These are too easy for you, Liah-bear.'_

Isliah smiled proudly and snuggled against her mother. Elphaba immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter. She was beginning to see that Amalie was right about her being a good mother. She would still get upset that she would never be able to hear her daughter sing, practice her piano lesson, or recite the poems she wrote. And then there were times when Isliah would fall and cry for her mother, and her tears would come even faster when she didn't come.

 _'I don't want her to think that I'm ignoring her.'_ Elphaba had confessed to her husband after he had put a Band-Aid on little Isliah's cut and got her a cookie before sending her back outside to play.

 _'She doesn't fully understand yet, Fae. She's only three. But she'll soon learn that you're not ignoring her.'_

That did little to comfort the green girl at the moment, but as time went on, Isliah began to learn that her mother wasn't ignoring her, and in fact, couldn't hear her or anything else. At first, she felt sorry for her mother and made it her life's mission to help her. It was really cute and sweet to see the little girl learning sign language to help her mother and make sure she was included in everything they did together as a family.

The green girl also began to feel more at ease with her role as princess of the Vinkus. The people seemed to really liked her and supported her. Everywhere the royal couple went, Fiyero made sure someone was always there to translate for her, whether it was himself, his parents, or someone else. Elphaba herself took to making sure other deaf people, especially children, got the rights and assistance they deserved, which was going very successfully so far.

The prince walked in and saw mother and daughter hugging each other on the floor. "What do we have here?" he chuckled.

"Daddy!" Isliah smiled, wiggling out of her mother's arms and running to him. "Mama and I almost finished the cards. She said we'll need some harder ones soon."

"I'll put that on my To-Do list," he smiled as he kissed her forehead and sat down on the sofa.

 _'What's that?'_ Elphaba asked as she pushed herself to her feet and sat next to her husband, looking at the two letters in her hand.

 _'Letters from Galinda and Nessa.'_ Fiyero smiled as he handed the letter from Nessa to Isliah to open. He read it out loud to their daughter as Elphaba's eyes scanned the page.

"We get to go to Munchkinland for Faire's birthday," the little girl giggled. "We get to see Dedek and Ujec Boq and Teta Nessa!"

Elphaba took the letter from Galinda. The blonde was doing fine, now seven months pregnant with their second child, which she insisted was another girl. She and Khynel were both doing very fine, and they already painted the new baby's room a very pale blue.

After a fun-filled day, it was time for Isliah to go to bed. She did her usual "I'm not tired" protests and pouts, but eventually gave in after Fiyero read her two stories and allowed her mother to get her ready for bed.

 _'I love you, Mama.'_ she signed as Elphaba tucked her into bed.

 _'I love you, too, sweetie.'_ Elphaba smiled as she kissed her daughter's forehead and left the room.

Later that night, as Elphaba laid in bed next to her slumbering husband, she thought about how her life had changed. She went from being the deaf and half-ignored daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland, to the still-deaf, but not-so-much-ignored daughter, to the princess of the Vinkus, to a mother. It had been quite a journey for her and she snuggled closer to her husband. Fiyero immediately wrapped his arms around her, his lips moving as he muttered something subconsciously. She rested her head against his chest, never growing tired of feeling his heart beating. And in that moment, before she drifted off to sleep, she knew that no matter what other obstacles life threw at her to overcome, everything was going to continue to be just fine.

* * *

 **THE END!**

 **Thank you all for following me on this journey! My next story,** ** _"Different Like Nothing",_** **will be posted next month. See you all then!**


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